Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi | Thu, 06/17/2010 9:05 PM
Residents of Kasano village in the West Sulawesi regency of North Mamuju were shocked on Thursday by flammable gas which spewed from the earth following Wednesday’s quake.
Spokesman for the North Mamuju administration Saydiman Marto said the natural phenomenon occurred in at least seven areas situated near palm oil and cacao plantations across the village, where the 5.3-magnitude quake has claimed one life and damaged more than 90 buildings.
“Local residents unintentionally discovered the spewing gas. Yesterday [Wednesday] a resident ignited fire near a hollow and suddenly flame burst out from the earth. The flame is about three meters tall,” Saydiman said.
Heavy rain that fell in the regency on Thursday helped prevent the fire from spreading, he added.
Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh and Regent Abdullah Rasyid who visited quake victims on Thursday also witnessed the spewing gas. They ordered evacuation of people living nearby for safety reasons and asked the upstream oil and gas regulator (BP Migas) to identify the gas.
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