One week after erruption, Merapi still said dangerous<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): One week after the massive eruption that has
\nkilled 46 people to date, rescue workers in search of missing
\nvillagers on the slope of Mt. Merapi still have not been given
\nthe green light to enter areas declared as dangerous.<\/p>\n
Members of the Yogyakarta Search and Rescue (SAR) agency have
\nbeen on stand-by at their various posts since Wednesday. As of
\nMonday they were still waiting for clearance from the volcano's
\nmonitoring office which has classified the areas as \"no entry\"
\nzones.<\/p>\n
Officials speculate that there could be between 100 and 200
\npeople trapped in villages on the Merapi slope which has been
\nimpassable since Tuesday's eruption.<\/p>\n
Among those not accounted for include staff members from the
\nMinistry of Public Works who were working on a clean water plant
\nproject.<\/p>\n
Mt. Merapi's activity has ebbed since its initial eruption but
\nseveral minor eruptions in the past week were taken by volcanic
\nexperts as indications that a larger blast could still occur.<\/p>\n
Also anxiously waiting for clearance are some of the 5,000
\npeople who fled their homes on the slope of Merapi after last
\nweek's eruption. They have been accommodated at temporary
\nshelters in Magelang and other nearby towns. They've been ordered
\nto stay put until it is absolutely safe for them to return.<\/p>\n
Another danger looming for villagers at the foot of the
\nmountain are the millions of cubic meters of lava which have been
\ngathering in the craters and could begin to descend on a moments
\nnotice.<\/p>\n
People living along the Code River, which passes Yogyakarta,
\nhave been told to prepare for evacuation in fear of the volcanic
\nmaterial that may eventually flood the stream.<\/p>\n
As of yesterday afternoon, the death toll from the eruption
\nremained at 46.<\/p>\n
Thirty seven people who suffered severe burn injuries were
\nbeing treated at four different hospitals in Yogyakarta --
\nSardjito, Panti Rapih, Bethesda and Muhammadiyah.<\/p>\n
A team of Japanese doctors held a meeting yesterday with their
\ncounterparts from the four hospitals to discuss plastic surgery
\nfor some of the victims.<\/p>\n
Sardjito Hospital Director Achmad Suyudi said the meeting
\nreviewed the complexity and the problems of plastic surgery. He
\ndid not say when and if the surgery would begin.<\/p>\n
It was earlier feared that some of the injured people were so
\nseverely burnt that they would need surgical treatment
\nimmediately. (har\/emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/one-week-after-erruption-merapi-still-said-dangerous-1447893297",
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