Thursday, November 08, 2007
Mt. Kelud finally erupts!
One of Indonesia's deadliest volcanos has started to erupt.Villagers and volcano monitors on the slopes on the mountain (Mount Kelud) fled in panic after seismic readings showed the eruption had begun. The volcano's peak was shrouded in fog, so there has been no visual confirmation of the eruption, according to a senior government scientist.
The mountain is located in the heart of Indonesia's densely populated island of Java. It has been on its highest alert status for more than two weeks and thousands already have been evacuated from villages closest to the crater.But officials say most of the 100,000-plus people living in areas considered to be risk never left or have returned to their homes.
In the last 48 hours, underground tremors have grown more intense and the temperature of the volcano's crater lake has spiked.In 1919, a powerful explosion destroyed dozens of villages and killed more than 5,000 people.Indonesia has about 100 active volcanos, more than any other nation.
The mountain is located in the heart of Indonesia's densely populated island of Java. It has been on its highest alert status for more than two weeks and thousands already have been evacuated from villages closest to the crater.But officials say most of the 100,000-plus people living in areas considered to be risk never left or have returned to their homes.
In the last 48 hours, underground tremors have grown more intense and the temperature of the volcano's crater lake has spiked.In 1919, a powerful explosion destroyed dozens of villages and killed more than 5,000 people.Indonesia has about 100 active volcanos, more than any other nation.
# posted by kevin : 7:53 PM
