The caustic gas leakage incident at the production facility of PT Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper, a subsidiary of Asia Pulp & Paper or Sinar Mas Group, on Saturday, January 20, 2024, was not the first occurrence as it echoed a similar incident in 2023.
A caustic soda gas leak at the paper mill owned by PT Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills II in Karawang led to hundreds of nearby residents suffering from mass poisoning and being hospitalized. The Regent of Karawang, Aep Syaepuloh, said they had taken emergency measures in response to the toxic gas leakage incident.
Through his Instagram account @aep_syarpulohse, the Karawang regent revealed the initial chronology of the leakage at the factory. Initially, on Saturday (1/20/2024) at 10:00 PM local time, local residents collectively reported suspicions of a pipeline leakage owned by the company in the area. “We immediately rushed to meet the victims affected by the toxic gas from PT Pindo Deli in Ciampel District tonight,” said Aep in his written statement on Monday.
Aep noted handling the hundreds of affected victims and those in recovery at hospitals such as Rosela Hospital, Mandaya Hospital, Bayukarta Hospital, and Primaya Hospital. As of Sunday, Aep noted that 123 people were affected and receiving care incentives at hospitals. He instructed the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the victims around the factory, especially those in need of medical treatment, to be taken to the nearest hospital. “The majority of the victims I met complained of difficulty breathing and watery eyes due to the effects of inhaling the toxic gas,” he said.
As recorded by Bisnis.com, the previous incident occurred on September 14, 2023. At that time, at least 33 people, who were poisoned by chlorine gas from the production facility of Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills II, were taken to Rosela Hospital in Karawang, West Java. They were residents of Cigempol Village, Kutamekar Village, Ciampel District, Karawang.
