[Kabar-indonesia] Mud-flow affects health of 11, 000 people in Indonesia

[Joyo at aol.com]

Mud-flow affects health of 11,000 people in Indonesia

JAKARTA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen local health posts
have been set up in Sidoarjo, Indonesia's East Java
Province, to treat 11,000 villagers affected by
mud-flow.

Of the total patients, 195 of them had to be
hospitalized for suffering from among other things
diarrhea, respiratory problem and vomiting, Antara
news agency quoted a Porong village health officer as
saying in Sidoarjo on Tuesday.

Continuous mud leakage from PT Lapindo Brantas gas
drilling well in Porong has been lasting for more than
a month. The company expected that the mud-flow, which
started late May, could be stopped by the end of July.

Some 726 houses, 17 school buildings and 15 factories
located near the leaking gas drilling well have been
covered by mud, which has affected the Porong people
economically and environmentally.

Around 6,800 people fled their homes to safer areas to
avoid the hot mud. At least 1,736 workers could not go
to work as the factories where they earn their living
have been forced to stop operation by the mud-flow.

The mud-flow has also shut down the Surabaya-Gempol
toll road, spoiled crops in tens of hectares of
agricultural fields, and killed fish and shrimps in
the local farmers' fish ponds.

A scientist investigating the worsening environmental
disaster said there is evidence that gas prospector PT
Lapindo Brantas' mismanagement of drilling caused
toxic mud to flood some villages in the area.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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