ASIATODAY.ID, MEDAN – More than a hundred people had to be rushed to hospital because they experienced mass poisoning due to inhaling poisonous gas from a geothermal project carried out by PT Sorik Merapi Geothermal Power (SMGP) in Puncak Sorik Marapi District, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, Thursday , February 22, 2024.
The Mandailing Natal Regional Disaster Management Agency recorded that the number of victims reached 123 people who were local residents.
The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon. Initially, the victims smelled a strong, rotten odor. Then the residents felt pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache until they finally became unconscious.
The Chief Executive of the Mandailing Natal Regional Disaster Management Agency, Muksin Nasution, said that the residents who were poisoned came from Sibanggor Julu Village and Sibanggor Tonga Village, Puncak Sorik Merapi District.
“At that time PT SMGP was carrying out experiments on opening a drill hole which resulted in a gas leak,” said Muksin.
All the victims have now received treatment in a number of hospitals. So far, there have been no casualties in this incident.
PT SMGP Stops Well Testing
As a result of this incident, PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power (SMGP) finally stopped testing gas wells.
“Knowing about this incident, PT SMGP stopped the well test activities on Thursday at around 19.15 WIB,” said the Head of the Mandailing Natal Resort Police, AKBP Arie Paloh, Friday, February 23 2024.
According to Arie, before activating the well, PT SMGP had sent official letters to sub-districts and villages as a form of information. They are also said to have carried out socialization.
Recurring Events
As a reference, gas poisoning due to the activities of PT Sorik Merapi Geothermal Power has occurred repeatedly and residents have always been victims.
On January 25 2021, a gas leak occurred from a drilling well at the Tenggo Wellpad. In that incident, 5 people died and 44 people fainted due to inhaling poisonous gas.
The poisonous gas leak from PT SMGP activities occurred again on Monday 7 March 2022. It was recorded that 58 people experienced H2S gas poisoning from PT SMGP activities. All victims received treatment at the hospital because they experienced nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Then on Saturday 17 September 2022, 8 people fainted due to gas poisoning at the Wellpad Tenggo project site owned by PT SMGP.
The police had time to carry out an investigation. Even though it claimed many lives, the project was still operational again. (AT Network)
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