Two Indonesian Volcanoes Spew More Smoke, Hot Ash
Date: 10-Jun-04
Country: INDONESIA
Author: Heri Retnowati
Local vulcanologist Hendrasto described the simultaneous activity at Mount Bromo and Mount Awu as "pure coincidence." Indonesia sits astride the geologically active Pacific "ring of fire" and has more than 100 active volcanoes.
Thick brown smoke hung over the 7,846-foot Mount Bromo in densely populated East Java province. But there were no fresh eruptions of rocks like the ones that killed two tourists, an Indonesian and a 12-year-old Singaporean boy, on Tuesday.
At least three people were reported missing and officials said it was too dangerous to search for them on the higher slopes of the volcano, some 470 miles east of Jakarta.
"The condition is unpredictable," said Atje Purbawinata, a vulcanologist at the scene.
"The character of this volcano is different from the others. Small earthquakes that were recorded two days ago are quite usual for active volcanoes but suddenly it erupted," he said.
Another vulcanologist said Mt Bromo's status remained one level below the highest alert with no need yet to evacuate local residents. The other volcano that has been unusually active in recent days, Mount Awu on Sangihe island some 1,400 miles northeast of Jakarta, belched out more hot smoke and ash on Wednesday.
"At around 5:12 a.m. there was a quite a large eruption of hot ash and at the top of the mountain. There is now a column of smoke 6,562 feet high," Samuel Dalompha, an official of the Directorate of Vulcanology on the island, told El Shinta radio.
Officials had yet to see imminent signs of a lava eruption, he said.
THOUSANDS TAKE REFUGE
As many as 20,000 people on Sangihe, which is near the Philippines, have been evacuated from the mountain's slopes and immediate vicinity. Most of them have taken shelter at schools and churches in the island's main city, Tahuna, which although showered by ash is still considered safe.
"The ash has been blown toward the southeast of the island reaching the capital and the airport," Syamsu Rizal from the eastern Indonesian vulcanology directorate told Reuters by phone from Sangihe island.
"However, we have not seen tendencies that it will worsen."
The island has a population of nearly 200,000, and other islands in the area have a combined population of around 60,000.
Mount Awu, one of the most active volcanoes in the sprawling archipelago, has erupted repeatedly since the 17th century. Nearly 3,000 people died when it blew up in 1812.
The volcano's last fatal eruption was in 1966 when 40 people were killed. It has erupted on a number of occasions since then.
Mount Bromo is a popular tourist destination in East Java, where visitors can climb its slope to watch the sunrise. Dozens of international tourists were still seen in the area on Wednesday despite appeals by officials to leave.
