Massive Gas Poisoning in Karawang, Police Question Paper Company

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Police in the regency of Karawang, West Java, has questioned six witnesses in the case of alleged gas poisoning that has affected dozens of residents at the Ciampel subdistrict, which many believe is caused by a leak from a pipe owned by paper manufacturing firm PT Pindo Deli Pulp And Paper Mills II.

“We are still questioning the witnesses, which include employees of the factory’s chlorine production section,” said Karawang Police Chief Rama Samtama Putra to Antaranews on Sunday, June 6. 

Local police in conjunction with the National Police's Central Forensics Laboratory (Puslabfor) conducted a crime scene investigation to find the cause of the pipe leak on Thursday, June 3. The department of Environment and Hygiene of the industrial region was also involved in the investigation.

According to a statement by the company, the gas leak is caused by an issue that has affected its gas supply tank, which led to police’s questioning towards the gas tank third party provider for PT Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills II.

“[The investigation] is ongoing and we are still waiting for the result from the National Police’s investigation,” said the Karawang Police Chief. 

80 residents in the vicinity of the pipe suffered asphyxiation which led to the people eventually being hospitalized at a local hospital. Similar gas poisoning incidents also happened in 2017 and 2018.

Read: Hundreds of People in Karawang Rushed to Hospitals after Gas Leak

ANTARA