Thousands evacuated, though Talang calming down<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Padang<\/p>\n
More than 25,000 residents living on the slopes of Mount Talang
\nin Solok regency, West Sumatra are still staying in makeshift
\nshelters although the mountain, which spewed hot ash on Tuesday,
\nshowed less activity on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Many residents spent the night in tents in open fields while
\nothers took refuge in schools and government buildings in nearby
\ntowns.<\/p>\n
\"The whole family is stressed. It's better to be here now than
\nto live in fear,\" Yusmalidar, 40, told Reuters. He had just been
\nevacuated in a government truck with his wife and three children.<\/p>\n
Amrizal Rangkayo, a 42-year-old resident now living in a tent
\nin Air Batumbo, a village around eight kilometers from Talang,
\ntold AP he first heard the eruption at about 3:30 a.m. on
\nTuesday. \"That frightened us and therefore we fled our villages,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Volcanologist Dalipa, who heads the Batu Bajanjang observation
\npost under the directorate of volcanology, mitigation and
\ngeological disasters, told The Jakarta Post there were no
\nsignificant eruptions recorded from Mount Talang from 6 p.m. on
\nTuesday to 2 a.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"From Tuesday night to 6 a.m. today (Wednesday), there were
\nonly six small eruptions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said this was unlike Monday to noon on Tuesday, when there
\nwere five big eruptions, spewing hot ash which reached a
\nresidential area 10 kilometers away, and hundreds of small
\neruptions.<\/p>\n
However, he could not guarantee the 2,574-meter high mountain
\nwould not become more active.<\/p>\n
\"We need two to three more days to evaluate and to determine
\nwhether Mount Talang's activity will decrease or not, and whether
\nit has the potential for a bigger eruption,\" Dalipa said.<\/p>\n
Solok Regent Gamawan Fauzi said that 25,150 residents from
\nfive villages in Lembang Jaya and Gunung Talang districts, which
\nare located within a five km radius from the danger zone, have
\nbeen evacuated to seven districts.<\/p>\n
The regental administration provided the refugees with tents
\nas well as food and clean water, he added.<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited residents living in
\nmakeshift shelters in Solok on Wednesday, Antara reported, saying
\nthe government would pay attention to their plight.<\/p>\n
\"Although the disaster here is on a smaller scale compared
\nwhat happened in Aceh and Nias, the government cares,\" said the
\nPresident, who delivered a Rp 500 million (US$55,555) donation
\nfor the victims.<\/p>\n
Experts said earlier the eruption was likely triggered by the
\n6.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Padang on Sunday, the
\nepicenter of which was near Siberut island, some 115 km west of
\nthe city. Mount Talang, which is on an alert status, lies 40
\nkilometers east of Padang.<\/p>\n
Parts of Sumatra are still recovering from the quake-triggered
\ntsunami and another massive quake which devastated its western
\ncoastal area, with Nias island worst hit.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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