Jamaah, Blora – A total of 800 residents of Gandu Village, Bogorejo District, Blora Regency, Central Java, were forced to evacuate following an oil well fire in Gendono Hamlet on Monday night.
The fire, which broke out on Sunday, had still not been extinguished as of Tuesday morning. Flames are seen still shooting high from the oil well site. The massive gush of crude oil made firefighting efforts difficult and time-consuming. Police officers, along with volunteers, continued to guard the area to secure the site and assist with extinguishing efforts.
The Blora Regency Government set up an evacuation post and public kitchen at the Gandu Village Hall to meet the needs of affected residents.
Faela, one of the evacuees, admitted she was still traumatized by the massive explosion that triggered the fire. She lost her mother-in-law and relatives in the incident.
"People are traumatized. We just want the fire to be put out quickly so we can go home. The children are still scared," she said at the evacuation post on Monday.
Head of the Blora Regency Office of Social Affairs, Women's Empowerment, and Child Protection, Luluk Kusuma, explained that the number of evacuees kept increasing throughout the night.
"As of Monday night, the number of evacuees has reached 800. For safety, we have about 100 personnel on duty. So, the logistics we prepared tonight amount to 900 packages," said Luluk.
The public kitchen, already in operation, prepared 800 meal packages for evacuees and 100 for joint personnel stationed at the fire site.
Due to the powerful explosion, several residents' homes were damaged or destroyed by fire. Three people were reported dead, while two others remain in intensive care at the hospital.
Previously, Blora Regent Arief Rohman said that illegal oil well drilling is a serious concern. He urged residents to immediately take care of legal permits in accordance with regulations to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
"These community wells are not yet legal. I urge the public to restrain themselves and first secure the necessary permits. Only once permits are in place can operations continue," he said on Monday.
Arief also highlighted that drilling sites located too close to residential areas fail to consider safety aspects.
The Blora Regency Government has coordinated with the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to handle the fire. Currently, response efforts involve deploying heavy equipment to excavate the soil around the oil and gas eruption site.