2,000 flee as Mt. Egon erupts

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang

Mount Egon in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted for the second time in months, forcing the evacuation of some 2,000 villagers from the slopes of the volcano, officials said on Thursday.

The villagers evacuated their homes as the mountain, located in Sikka regency, belched out rocks, sand, ash and lava.

No casualties were reported as white smoke spewed into the air up to a height of 3,000 meters.

"It is possible there will be more eruptions that cause much more damage. Therefore, vulcanologists recommend that the mountain be closed off to all people," Sikka Regent Alex Longginus said.

He said villagers were still being evacuated, with the process being slowed by the difficulties faced by vehicles operating on the slopes of the mountain.

The Sikka regency administration and the local Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency have declared an alert status and have ordered people away from the volcano.

Alex said Mount Egon began to erupt on Sunday, affecting thousands of hectares of cacao, coffee, vanilla and clove plantations.

"The government has provided emergency assistance to the victims, including medicine and food," he said.

Volcano monitors began warning of increased volcanic activity at Egon in January this year.

Mount Egon last erupted in July, spewing out sand, rock and ash. Vulcanologists said the volcano belched out fumes between 500 and 700 meters high at the time.

Mount Egon is one of numerous Type B active volcanoes in Indonesia. Its crater is 525 meters-by-425 meters in diameter, and has a depth of between 47.5 meters and 195 meters. The mountain stands at a height of 1,701 meters.