In May 2006, hot water and mud began gushing through cracks in the dry earth of East Java, Indonesia, apparently triggered by careless gas-drilling through the porous
and permeable rock below. Since then, the mud volcano has smothered entire villages, roads, factories and fields, displacing thousands of people and sparking an environmental and social crisis on the world’s most populous island. And while authorities frantically try to stem the tide and industry officials deny responsibility, the mud relentlessly flows. Photographs by Arief Sunarya

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