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Lava, ash fill sky as Indon volcano erupts

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Rivergirl
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Lava, ash fill sky as Indon volcano erupts

Post by Rivergirl »

Lava, ash fill sky as Indon volcano erupts
July 15, 2011 - 9:49AM .

Image
The Lokon volcano erupts near Tomohon, Indonesia.

An Indonesian volcano has erupted, spewing rocks, lava and ash hundreds of metres into the air, an official says, three days after its alert status was raised to the highest level.

There has been a significant rise in volcanic activity at Mount Lokon on Sulawesi island since June 9, prompting hundreds of people to evacuate the area.

"There was a big eruption around 10.31pm local time (1.31am Melbourne time), which saw ash, sand and rocks thrown 1500 metres into the air," government volcanologist Kristianto told AFP.

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The Indonesian volcano erupted late July 14, spewing rocks, lava and ash hundreds of metres into the air. Photo: AFP

Grass and shrubs in an area stretching 500 metres around the volcano were on fire but there was no immediate danger to people living nearby, he said.

The volcano's status was raised to its highest red alert level after it spewed ash 500 metres into the air over the weekend, leading to a 3.5-kilometre evacuation zone being established in case of a bigger eruption.

"There is no mass panic because the community has already been warned of the situation and we are continuing to evacuate people," added Kristianto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Around 28,000 people live within the evacuation zone.

The 1580-metre Mount Lokon is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. It erupted in 1991, killing a Swiss tourist.

The Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the Ring of Fire between the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, has killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions which started in late October.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/lava-ash ... z1S7xSAKBX" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Rivergirl
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Re: Lava, ash fill sky as Indon volcano erupts

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Thousands flee Indonesian volcanic fireball July 16, 2011 - 2:25PM
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The Lokon volcano erupts near Tomohon on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Photo: AFP

More than 4600 people have been evacuated since an Indonesian volcano erupted on Thursday and its alert status was placed on the highest level, an official said.

Mount Lokon on Sulawesi island spewed grey ash up to 800 metres high early today as it continued to rumble.

"The evacuees are placed in six shelter points. No one has died because of the direct impact of the eruption," disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

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Villagers take shelter inside a school building after they fled their homes on the slope of Mount Lokon in North Sulawesi. Photo: AP

"The disaster management agency has assisted them by disbursing 300 million rupiah ($A32,840.57) of emergency funds, logistics, equipment and personnel," he said.

The 1580-metre Mount Lokon is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. It erupted in 1991, killing a Swiss tourist.

The Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the "Ring of Fire" between the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions last year.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/thousand ... z1SGgELNjr" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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