A NEWLY drilled unregulated oil well in western Indonesia exploded into flames early today, burning 18 people to death and injuring dozens more.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the well in Pasir Putih village in eastern Aceh province ignited at about 1.30am and firefighters were still struggling to extinguish the flames late in the afternoon. Five nearby houses were engulfed by the inferno.

Sutopo said the 820-foot-deep well was gushing when it ignited and many people were nearby trying to collect the oil, adding that 41 had been admitted to three hospitals.