Indonesians evacuate as volcano erupts
Source: Agencies |
July 16, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THOUSANDS of residents were evacuated after a volcano in central Indonesia erupted, spewing towering clouds of hot ash and debris and sending red-hot lava cascading down its slopes.
One woman died of a heart attack in the chaos.
Mount Lokon, which had rumbled for nearly a week, unleashed three powerful blasts late Thursday and early yesterday. The eruption woke people from their sleep.
"This is the largest eruption I've ever experienced," said Nelson Uada, who was among 6,000 people crammed into schools, mosques and emergency shelters.
"It was very scary," he said. "Glowing lava flowed like flames in the darkness and it sounded like we were in a war."
The 1,750 meter mountain in north Sulawesi province remained active yesterday, and airliners traveling within 10 kilometers of the peak were told to fly around the zone.
No flights were canceled, however, and operations at the nearby airport in Manado were not affected, said airport spokesman Lucky Podaag.
More than 33,000 people live along the fertile slopes of Mount Lokon, but many of those with homes within the danger zone were moved before the triple eruptions.
One woman died of a heart attack in the chaos.
Mount Lokon, which had rumbled for nearly a week, unleashed three powerful blasts late Thursday and early yesterday. The eruption woke people from their sleep.
"This is the largest eruption I've ever experienced," said Nelson Uada, who was among 6,000 people crammed into schools, mosques and emergency shelters.
"It was very scary," he said. "Glowing lava flowed like flames in the darkness and it sounded like we were in a war."
The 1,750 meter mountain in north Sulawesi province remained active yesterday, and airliners traveling within 10 kilometers of the peak were told to fly around the zone.
No flights were canceled, however, and operations at the nearby airport in Manado were not affected, said airport spokesman Lucky Podaag.
More than 33,000 people live along the fertile slopes of Mount Lokon, but many of those with homes within the danger zone were moved before the triple eruptions.
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