One of the many gas bubbles in the mud flowing in Sidoarjo, East Java, exploded Tuesday. No casualties were reported, writes The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, National, Tue, 19/8/2008 at http://www.thejakartapost.com.
Forwarded by Budhi Mulyawan 190808. 

Antara reported that a three-meter-high fire sprouted from a gas bubble near Jl. Flamboyan, Siring Barat village.

The last time the same bubble exploded was last May, when the explosion was sparked by a cigarette butt. At the time, one person suffered burn injuries.

The Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) sent three fire extinguishers to the scene to stop the fire, but locals rejected them.

Local neighborhood chief Bambang told Antara that villagers rejected the extinguishers to show political leaders in Jakarta how dangerous the mudflow is.

"If the fire is put out, we are worried the BPLS will report to the central government that the situation in Siring is safe," he said.

He also said people in Siring were now restless because there were many potentially dangerous gas bubbles emerging in their village. Dozens of similar bubbles have been recorded.

During the event, the people held Ahmad ZUlkarnain from BPLS hostage, but the police soon intervened and freed him.

Jalaludin Alham from the mudflow special committee at the Sidoarjo legislative council said that the government should pay special attention to the emergence of gas bubbles in Siring and
other villages.

He called on BPLS to evacuate people from Siring, as the village had become unlivable.

"This condition is dangerous. The government has to decide that Siring Barat is not livable anymore. We shouldn't need to wait for victims to fall," Jalaludin said. (rid) 

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