A gas pipe explosion in East Java, Indonesia, killed at least eight people on Wednesday, another two missing and feared dead officials said Thursday.
The blowout occurred close to a massive mud flow that began surging from a gas exploration site on seismically charged Java Island six months ago. Authorities suspect the weight of the thick sludge caused the underground pipe to collapse and explode. Officials were quoted saying the area is sinking under the weight of the mud and must be abandoned. The massive explosion just outside Indonesia's second largest city of Surabaya occurred five hours after large cracks started appearing in the earth's crust, police and witnesses said.
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8 People Killed by Gas Explosion
The blowout occurred close to a massive mud flow that began surging from a gas exploration site