Toxic Air Due To Burns Of Coal Stockpile Bawa Petaka, 40 Bengkulu Sepang Bay Residents Affected By ISPA

Acting Head (Plt) Head of the Bengkulu City Health Office Joni Haryadi Thabrani. BETWEEN/Anggi Mayasari

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu City Health Office (Dinkes) noted that more than 40 residents of Teluk Sepang Village were affected by skin disease and Upper Respiratory Channel Infections (ISPA) due to inhaling the air contaminated with burning coal stockpiles. "Based on data from the Padang Serai Health Center, there are more than 40 residents who are sick with ARI and skin diseases due to air pollution caused by burning coal stockpiles and containing harmful substances," said Acting Head of the Bengkulu City Health Office Joni Haryadi Thabrani in Bengkulu, Antara, Thursday, November 15. Therefore, his party asked all people in Bengkulu City, especially in Teluk Sepang Village, to wear masks when carrying out daily activities and consume a lot of water. In addition, the community was also asked to stay away from the location of the burning coal stockpile at the Steam Power Plant (PLTU) of Sepang Bay. "The point is that local residents must stay away from the location, let alone coal, we have to get away immediately, because if we are close, we will have shortness of breath," he said. Because, explained Joni, if people continue to breathe pollution from the burning of coal stockpiles, it can cause skin cancer and other diseases. "If the drugs are not a solution, they have to evacuate to a safer place because if they breathe the pollution every day continuously, they are afraid that it can cause lung cancer and other diseases," said Joni.

He also asked related parties to immediately take action against the perpetrators of the coal stockpile fire. It is known that the location of the coal stockpile of the Teluk Sepang PLTU is 20 meters from residential areas.