20 Years On, Indonesian Mud Volcano Survivors Declare Disaster ‘Far From Over’ as Toxic Sludge Still Haunts Lives

Kuala Lumpur – Two decades after the catastrophic Lapindo mud volcano eruption buried entire villages in hot toxic sludge, survivors gathered at the edge of the massive mud lake on Friday to light candles, scatter flowers, and deliver a clear message to the government: the nightmare is still not over.

On May 29, 2006, the ground in Porong, Sidoarjo district, suddenly split open, spewing steaming hot mud that would eventually swallow more than 600 hectares of land, destroy at least a dozen villages, displace tens of thousands of residents, and claim 13 lives.

Harwati, a 50-year-old survivor, stood at the embankment on the 20th anniversary, clasping her hands in prayer.

“The disaster is still ‘far’ from over,” she told AFP. “Even though presidents change, we still hope the government will provide justice for us.”

She and other residents demanded an urgent independent study into the long-term health impact of the mudflow, pointing to rising cases of cancer and other illnesses linked to polluted groundwater.

Muhammad Irsyad, 62, was forced to abandon his village in 2012 after toxic pollution ruined the family well.

“I was angry when I wanted to take a bath because when we shower, my eyes got stung as soon as the water hits it,” he recalled. Today, he and his wife Siti Chusniawati, 48, run a small food stall and sell drinking water to survive.

“It was tough, but whether we want it or not, we just go on day by day, trying to adapt with this new circumstance,” Siti said.

Irsyad still dreams of being buried in his old village so his grandchildren will one day ask: “Why is grandfather buried here?”

Melky Nahar of the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM) said the suffering continues unabated.

“After two decades, the destruction over the health, environment and base of production of people… are not finished,” he stressed.

The mud volcano — known locally as Lumpur Lapindo or Lusi — is still active. Attempts to stop the flow, including dropping thousands of concrete balls, have failed. Environmental groups report severe groundwater contamination, while survivors accuse the government of using public funds to bail out PT Lapindo Brantas (now Minarak Brantas Gas), a company linked to the powerful Bakrie family.

Lapindo has always denied responsibility, claiming an earthquake 260 km away triggered the disaster. Many independent experts disagree and blame faulty gas drilling.

Twenty years later, thousands of families remain displaced, compensation battles continue, and the giant mud lake stands as a painful monument — a daily reminder that for these survivors, the 2006 tragedy never truly ended.

Residents say they will keep returning to the embankment every year until real justice — and real answers — finally arrive.