Village of Desa Pologunting, Surabaya, Indonesia. In 2006, Lipindo, a private company unsafely drilling for natural gas, struck an underground reservoir of toxic mud and gases. The ensuing eruption completely buried 12 surrounding villages. Other villages were severely affected by the mud and their soil has been completely contaminated with carcinogenic toxins. The mud is still flowing and is expected to flow for the next 20 years. No compensation has been made to the victims. The residents of Desa Pologunting were told by the government that they had to leave due to the toxin levels. The residents salvaged materials from their abandoned homes to build new homes, often as close as 20 meters away. These photographs are of the abandoned homes, picked apart for their materials over the years.
