Mudflow In Cirebon Emits A Pungent Odor Similar To Kerosene, ESDM Service: Will Be Tested

The mudflow that occurred in Cipanas Village, Dukuntang District, Cirebon Regency (Photo: ANTARA/Khaerul Izan)

CIREBON - The Department of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) of West Java Province (West Java) brought a sample of the mudflow that occurred in Cipanas Village, Cirebon Regency for research.

"We took samples of water and also soil mud to be tested in the ESDM lab chemically," said Acting Head of Mining and Groundwater, West Java Province ESDM Office, Arip Budiman in Cirebon as reported by Antara, Wednesday, June 2.

Arip said that water and soil samples were taken around the location of the mud eruption to determine whether the content was dangerous or not.

For this reason, continued Arip, his party will conduct research first, in order to produce scientific certainty.

"We will take it to a laboratory in Bandung, and the results are estimated in 30 days," he said.

According to him, from observations at the location of the mud eruption, it had a pungent odor typical of kerosene, but this was only based on the sense of smell.

"From the pungent smell, it smells like kerosene, not sulfur," he said.

Meanwhile, according to information from the Head of Cipanas Village, Arip said, this mud eruption had been happening for a long time, even from 1970 to 1980 one of the toothpaste industries used it.

"From information, this has been used by toothpaste companies, but we don't know for sure," said Arip.