Airport closed due to volcanic ash<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post\/Kupang<\/p>\n
The Sikka regency administration has been forced to close Waioty
\nAirport in the town of Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara, due to last
\nweek's eruption of Mount Egon, officials said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The closure was announced on Monday and all domestic flights
\nfrom Denpasar in Bali and the East Nusa Tenggara capital of
\nKupang to Maumere have been halted for the time being.<\/p>\n
Airport head Petrus Alubel said the closure was necessitated
\nby the increasing activity of the volcano since last week.<\/p>\n
\"Because all of the equipment and facilities of the airport
\nhave been covered by up to one centimeter of volcanic ash, we
\nhave decided to halt all flights,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Petrus said the health of passengers could have been affected
\nby the ash and smoke from the volcano.<\/p>\n
Mount Egon has been belching out ash and smoke from its crater
\nfor more than a week now, forcing some 2,000 villagers to
\nevacuate their houses on the slope of the mountain.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the volcano spewed smoke up to 2,500 meters high,
\nand ash from the explosion covered areas as far away as 30
\nkilometers.<\/p>\n
The local administration warned residents last week not to
\napproach the volcano.<\/p>\n
Many of the 2,000 villagers who were evacuated to safer areas
\nare reportedly suffering from respiratory problems and skin
\nirritations.<\/p>\n
Local disaster task force officials from the Sikka
\nadministration have opened community kitchens to provide food for
\nthe refugees.<\/p>\n
\"For the time being, they are receiving assistance in the form
\nof food, tents and clean water,\" task force coordinator Silvanus
\nTibo said.<\/p>\n
Sikka Regent Alex Longginus said last week his administration
\nwas having trouble distributing aid to the refugees because of
\ntransportation problems.<\/p>\n
He asked the central government to help renovate roads leading
\nto the refugee camps.<\/p>\n
Officials and seismologists are continuing to monitor the
\nmountain, which is expected to remain active for an unspecified
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
Mount Egon is among 129 volcanoes in the country, the world's
\nlargest archipelago nation.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is vulnerable to seismic upheavals due to its
\nlocation on a subduction zone, where the Australian continental
\nplate is being pushed underneath Southeast Asia, creating an arc
\nof volcanoes and oceanic trenches.<\/p>",
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