by Sophie Saint-Firmin, News Editor
The port city of Balikpapan, on the Indonesian island of Borneo, declared a state of emergency after an oil spill killed five fishermen and sickened hundreds.
According to The Guardian, the oil spill has stretched to an area of over seven square miles (18 km) and has contaminated the sea and air with a thick black smoke. “The fire was quite big, about two kilometers [1.2 miles] high. It can be seen from Balikpapan city and the smell was all over the place,” a senior official with East Borneo’s search and rescue agency told Time.
An investigation by the East Kalimantan police confirmed through the latest sample that the leaking substance was crude oil from a pipe laid on the seabed and owned by Pertamina, a state-owned oil and natural gas company. The oil leak, from a broken steel pipe, caused a fire on a fishing boat and a coal-carrying ship, according to ABC News.
“We’re in a state of emergency because of the oil spill’s impact,” stated the Balikpapan city secretary Syid Fadli. “I may sound like I’m exaggerating, but the state of the bay is like that of a gas station.”
“We believe this is the worst oil spill to catch fire since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster,” said Fathur Roziqin Fen, director for East Kalimantan for WALHI, Indonesia’s largest environmental organization.
The extent of the environmental impact has not been determined, but according to The Guardian it is already affecting the livelihoods of local fishermen. The Maritime Executive reports that at least 162 fishermen have lost their livelihoods and over 34,000 acres of mangroves are at risk.
Fadli told ABC News that the port authority has been working with Chevron Indonesia and Pertamina to clean the spill. “We have warned workers and residents around the bay to refrain from lighting cigarettes and make safety the priority,” Fadli said. The Associated Press reported that city officials have distributed masks, and more than 1,300 people have suffered breathing problems, nausea and vomiting.
Recovery teams like Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry are also working to contain the spill. Rasio Ridho Sani, the director general of the ministry, said, “Our team in the field is investigating it thoroughly. We will soon find out how big the impact is on the environment and who will be held responsible.”
Photo via Foter
