 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Indonesian Volcano Spits Debris As Hundreds More Flee
Jakarta (AFP) July 11, 2007 A smouldering Indonesian volcano shot rocks, ash and smoke into the air for the third consecutive day Wednesday as hundreds more villagers deserted its slopes, police and scientists said. Volcanologists warned on Tuesday that an eruption of Mount Gamkonora, located on the northeastern island of Halmahera may be imminent. "There have been 11 small eruptions registered within the first 18 hours of today (Wednesday)," geologist Toto Hendrasto told AFP from Ternate, the capital of North Maluku province, 66 kilometres (41 miles) southwest of Gamkonora. The smoke column rose up to 2,500 metres from the crater of the 1,635-metre (5,461-foot) volcano, he added. The column had been about 500 metres higher on Tuesday. Risnu Malau, a policeman in the nearby town of Jailolo, said a total of 8,621 people from eight villages had fled to safer areas. He said most local police had been dispatched to the slopes to help local authorities deal with the displaced. Earlier, Hendrasto said that historically the volcano's eruptions have involved ash, smoke and small pieces of volcanic debris. "Centuries ago, an eruption of Gamkonora involved lava and pyroclastic flows, but in recent history, its eruptions have only been marked by spewing ash. Hopefully, it stays that way too this time," Hendrasto told AFP. Indonesia sits on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," where continental plates meet, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activity. The archipelago nation has the world's highest number of active volcanoes. Gamkonora, located some 2,700 kilometres (1,600 miles) northeast of Jakarta, has erupted 12 times since records have been kept, most recently 20 years ago.
earlier related report People nearby heard two thunderous booms and the column of smoke rising from the crater reached up to 2,500 metres, the office said on its website. It said that as of early Monday, 8,439 people had moved off the slopes of the 1,635-metre (5,461-foot) volcano, which last erupted in 1987. It was unclear how many remained on the slopes and were at risk. Local official Penta Libela said authorities were helping with the evacuation of villagers and had prepared four safe shelters. "It is not an official evacuation program. The population panicked because of the eruption and fled on their own and as the local government, we are merely helping by providing more vehicles and assigning temporary shelters," Libela said early Monday. Indonesia sits on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," where continental plates meet, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activity. The archipelago nation has the world's highest number of active volcanoes. Gamkonora has erupted 12 times since records have been kept. The volcano typically spews heat clouds, or pyroclastic flows, along with lava streams toward villages in the west and northwest of Halmahera island, rather than exploding, the volcanology website said.
earlier related report "Four died on the spot and two died on the way to hospital," said Sudaryono from the Indonesian Red Cross hospital in Bogor, West Java. Three other students were affected by the fumes, he said. The nine students had left the group they were camping with about a kilometre down the slope late on Saturday. Two were discharged on Sunday and the third was no longer in a critical condition but still being treated in hospital, Sudaryono said. One of the survivors, 14-year-old Naimah, told the Pikiran Rakyat daily that she saw one of the girls in the group collapse while they were in the crater and lose consciousness. "Sarifah suddenly collapsed and fainted. I wanted to help," Naimah said, adding that she smelled the strong odour of sulfur before fainting herself. Hiking up Indonesia's many volcanoes is a popular activity across the archipelago nation. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Seven climbers were found dead on the slopes of Indonesia's second highest volcano, Mount Rinjani, in March. They likely died of exposure.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
More Misery Forecast For Flood-Hit China As July Toll Hits 127
Beijing (AFP) July 10, 2007China issued emergency flood warnings for central and eastern parts of the nation Tuesday, after torrential downpours led to the deaths of at least 127 in the past eight days. Water levels on the Huaihe river in three provinces had surpassed warning levels and were rising, affecting 14.7 million residents and leading to the collapse of 19,000 homes, the state flood headquarters said on its website. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
