New hot springs flow in wake of Palu earthquake

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

A new phenomenon has stunned the people of Central Sulawesi, in the wake of a recent 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the region.

New hot springs have emerged in Bobo subdistrict, Donggala regency, southeast of Palu, shortly after the quake jolted the area on Jan. 24.

The biggest hot spring had formed a pool 6 meters square, while dozens of smaller ones were also scattered around the subdistrict. Many residents were surprised to find water boiling up in the new springs with a distinct sulfuric odor. According to local residents, it takes just two minutes to poach an egg.

Achmad Husein, a local resident, said that the phenomenon was a novelty for him. "I've never seen this kind of thing before. We saw the hot springs three days after the earthquake and it was quite surprising. We are also afraid that the hot water might start overflowing into our houses," said Husein.

However, officials at the Mining and Energy Office in Donggala said on Monday that they were not aware that the new hot springs had emerged in Bobo subdistrict.

They knew that hot springs had been found in the neighboring subdistrict of Bora years ago, where the epicenter of another earthquake was located, but they were not aware of the new findings in Bobo subdistrict, some 16 kilometers southeast of Palu, Central Sulawesi's capital.

Tawakal Muhammadong, the head of the Mining and Energy Office in Donggala regency, promised that his office would soon go study the new phenomena. He said they would also focus their research on whether the new springs contained only sulfuric gas, or other gases.

The earthquake that rocked Donggala and Palu city has created panic among local residents. There is now an acute fear throughout the villages that a deadly tsunami is imminent. Most villagers are still camping out or have moved to higher ground.

The Disaster Mitigation Center in the province recorded that the earthquake damaged 135 houses and a school building, while no fatalities were reported.

The hardest hit areas were Biromaru and Palolo districts in Donggala regency, where Bobo and Bora subdistricts are located, said Frets Abast, an official at the disaster mitigation center.

As of Monday, tents were still evident outside of most homes in Bobo subdistrict, due to fears of aftershocks.