Gas sources emerge after tsunami disaster<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Meulaboh<\/p>\n
Usman, 51, was amazed when he smelled the pungent odor of gas as
\nhe and other workers were digging a groundwater well. The deeper
\nthey dug, the stronger the smell.<\/p>\n
But amazement turned to surprise when a thick cloud spurted
\nout from the earth.<\/p>\n
\"It happened few days ago. We were lucky no one was killed,\"
\nsaid Usman.<\/p>\n
The gas spray reached several meters high, and the sound could
\nbe heard from hundreds of meters away. This was the biggest gas
\neruption to have occurred in the Suak Ribee subdistrict,
\nMeulaboh, in West Aceh.<\/p>\n
Suak Ribee was among the subdistricts hardest hit by the
\ntsunami disaster last year. Since then, residents and non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOS) have been busy building houses.
\nUsman and his friends had been digging a groundwater well for a
\ncommunity health center being built by the NGO Islamic Relief.<\/p>\n
\"We wanted water, but instead we got gas,\" Usman said smiling.<\/p>\n
With the help of Islamic Relief and local residents, the well
\nwas closed off using concrete. However, the gas then started
\nemerged in a nearby swamp area.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe because the gas could not come out from the well, it
\nhad to find another way to escape. It apparently pushed the soil
\nup and then emerged in the swamp area,\" said Usman.<\/p>\n
Since then, nobody has been allowed to smoke near the swamp
\narea or even near the blocked up well for fear of causing an
\nexplosion. Usman has put up a banner in the community health
\ncenter compound prohibiting people from smoking in the area.<\/p>\n
Chief of Suak Ribee subdistrict, Syarifuddin, acknowledged
\nthat gas had been found in the subdistrict. Many more sources of
\ngas have been found in the subdistrict since the tsunami disaster
\nlast year, the result of a monster earthquake measuring 9.3 on
\nthe Richter scale.<\/p>\n
\"After the tsunami disaster, five new sources of gas were
\nfound in the subdistrict,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Gas has also been found in the neighboring subdistrict of Suak
\nSekandeng.<\/p>\n
Of the thousands of families who originally lived in Suak
\nRibee, only 636 families remain.<\/p>\n
Half these families have already received permanent houses
\nfrom the Salvation Army NGO.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gas-sources-emerge-after-tsunami-disaster-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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