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Indonesian volcano erupts on Java; 66,000 told to get out
Topic Started: 14 Feb 2014, 02:24 AM (128 Views)
skibboy
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Indonesian volcano erupts on Java; 66,000 told to get out

By Brian Walker, CNN
February 14, 2014

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Villagers walk as they are evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Kelud in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia.

(CNN) -- A volcano on the main island of Indonesia has sent plumes of smoke and ash high into the air, while tens of thousands have gone to shelters for safety, the Antara state news agency reported Thursday.

The government raised its eruption alert to its highest level overnight and authorities have ordered an evacuation of all residents in a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) radius of Mount Kelud in eastern Java.

Pictures from the scene show large black plumes rising over Mount Kelud, sparking lightning strikes and raining pebbles and ash on the surrounding area.

The military has been called in to help evacuate the area, and 66,000 people are moving to nearby shelters.

Mount Kelud last erupted in 2007, but it has recently ramped up activity in the past 10 days.

In 1990, an eruption killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds.

Indonesia is part of the vast "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of colliding continental plates where powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur.

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skibboy
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14 February 2014

Mass evacuation in Indonesia as Java volcano erupts

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Three people have been killed after their home collapsed from the weight of volcanic ash, as Alice Budisatrijo reports

Tens of thousands of Indonesians have fled their homes after a volcano erupted in east Java.

Mount Kelud spewed ash and debris over a large area, including the city of Surabaya, about 130km (80 miles) away.

Officials said two people died after their houses collapsed under the weight of ash.

Airports in Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Solo shut down because of low visibility.

There are also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Yogyakarta airport manager Andi Wirson said the runway was covered in a 5cm-thick layer of ash.

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Residents wore masks to protect themselves from the dust and ash in the air

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Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes and seek temporary shelter

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Motorists were covered with ash as they travelled through Yogyakarta

Officials raised an alert on Thursday about an hour before the volcano erupted.

They urged people living in 36 villages within 10km of the volcano to evacuate.

Tens of thousands fled to temporary shelters.

Officials said two people died when their homes caved in under the weight of gravel and ash.

Some of the evacuees tried to visit their houses on Friday morning to gather their possessions, but were forced to turn back by the stream of volcanic ash and rocks from the volcano.

"The whole place was shaking - it was like we were on a ship in high seas," one resident told AFP new agency.

"We fled and could see lava in the distance flowing into a river."

Covered in grey

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The volcano spewed ash and gravel that flew as far as 200km away, officials said.

The BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta says thick dust in villages close the volcano makes it dangerous for pedestrians and vehicles to be on the road.

Mount Kelud, which had been rumbling for several weeks, erupted on Thursday evening.

Officials said on Friday that the eruption was gradually subsiding.

Experts say the volcano tends to quieten down after a large eruption, and more big eruptions are unlikely.

The volcano last erupted in 1990, killing dozens of people.

A powerful eruption in 1919 killed around 5,000 people.

Indonesia lies across a series of geological fault-lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

There are about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Earlier this month, Mount Sinabung on the island of Sumatra erupted, killing at least 14 people.

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skibboy
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15 February 2014

Indonesian airports reopen after Java volcano eruption

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BBC reporter Alice Budisatrijo: "Authorities are still imposing a 10km exclusion zone around the area of the volcano"

Several airports have reopened on the Indonesian island of Java after being forced to close following the eruption of a volcano.

Correspondents say air quality has improved across Java, but cities and villages are still covered in a layer of dust and ash.

Tens of thousands remain in shelters, facing medicine and blanket shortages.

Mount Kelud, in Java's east, spewed ash and debris over a large area on Friday, killing three people.

The volcano had been rumbling for several weeks before it erupted.

Authorities said they were not expecting another major tremor, because the patterns showed volcanoes tended to quieten down after a large eruption.

Stream of ash

The transport ministry said airports in Malang, Cilacap and Semarang reopened on Saturday.

"We are now evaluating the status of other airports," spokesman Bambang Ervan said.

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Motorists were covered with ash as they travelled through the city of Yogyakarta

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Tens of thousands have been forced to seek refuge in temporary shelters

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Mount Kelud erupted after rumbling for several weeks

The airports shut down because of low visibility.

There were also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Some 75,000 people are estimated to have sought refuge in temporary shelters.

Many are unable to return to their homes because authorities have kept a 10km exclusion zone in place around the volcano, the BBC's Alice Budisatrijo reports from the capital, Jakarta.

Our correspondent says the volcano alert remains at the highest level because officials do not want to take any chances.

Officials raised an alert on Thursday about an hour before the volcano erupted.

They urged people living in 36 villages within 10km of the volcano to evacuate.

Officials said two people died when their homes caved in under the weight of gravel and ash.

A 70-year-old man was killed when a wall collapsed while he was waiting to be evacuated.

Some of the evacuees tried to visit their houses on Friday morning to gather their possessions, but were forced to turn back by the stream of volcanic ash and rocks from the volcano.

The volcano last erupted in 1990, killing dozens of people.

A powerful eruption in 1919 killed around 5,000 people.

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