REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDA ACEH -- As many as 198 residents have evacuated to safer ground to avoid a raging fire from an unregulated oil well that exploded in Pasir Putih Village, East Aceh District. According to Aceh Provincial Disaster Mitigation, a total of 198 people live near the site of the illegal oil well explosion that gutted five houses on Wednesday (Apr 25).

"The fire was put out at 5 a.m. local time this morning, but the residents are still taking refuge," Acting Chief of the Aceh Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board Teuku Ahmad Dadek stated on Thursday.

Dadek noted that tens of houses near the oil well appeared to be vacant, with their doors and windows closed tightly. Several items, including oil distillers and motorcycles, caught fire.

"The oil well that caught fire is located only 30 meters from the houses. The residents panicked and preferred to rescue their families first," he remarked.

The death toll in the illegal oil well explosion rose to 21 as of Thursday. "This morning, two more people died," Dadek stated earlier in the day.

Until now, 38 people are receiving medical treatment at hospitals for wounds, he noted.

The incident occurred when one of the unregulated oil wells, drilled to a depth of 100 meters, exploded and spouted out oil. Dozens of people, who witnessed the oil spill out from the well, started to collect it.

Suddenly, the blaze erupted and the victims, who were collecting oil, were trapped in the fire. Two houses near the location also caught fire.

Head of Aceh Timur District H. Hasballah H.M. Thaib noted that the authority had deployed its fire extinguishers to put out the fire. "The fire is allegedly mixed with gas," he pointed out.

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