Diseases hit as ash, sulfur rains down on East Flores

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

Thousands of refugees and other villagers affected by the eruptions of Mount Lewotobi in Wulanggitan subdistrict, East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara, have begun to suffer from respiratory problems and cholera, officials said on Wednesday.

The people began to succumb to the ailments as the volcano continued to spew hot ash, lava, rocks, fireballs and sulfur down its slopes.

Stanis Tefa, secretary of the Natural Disaster Management and Refugee Coordination Board's task force in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang, said many victims were suffering from acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) and cholera, as they were breathing white volcanic ash mixed with sulfur.

Tefa, who is also head of the social affairs bureau in the East Nusa Tenggara secretariat, said the villagers were in dire need of assistance, such as masks and medicine, in order to curb the spread of ARI and cholera.

At least six villages that are home to more than 10,000 people have been plagued by the diseases.

The worst-hit village is Hokeng Jaya, which has a population of around 2,300. The village is covered in volcanic ash measuring three- to five-centimeters deep.

"To meet the need for masks and medical assistance, our task force has joined forces with the local health office to distribute them to the victims in East Flores," Tefa said.

He said the East Flores natural disaster and refugee task force reported that volcanic activities on Mount Lewotobi continued on Wednesday, accompanied by minor and major eruptions.

The hot ash and fireballs have destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and have sparked forest fires, which have continued to spread out of control around the volcano.

The villagers had also been forced to drink water contaminated by lava and other volcanic material, he told The Jakarta Post in Kupang.

Vegetables from the area could not be eaten because they were contaminated by sulfur, while animals in the area also suffered from contaminated vegetation.

The East Nusa Tenggara administration, through the local resettlements and regional infrastructure office, has so far provided 10 tons of rice and clean water for the refugees, while East Flores Regent Felix Fernandes has sent another 500 kilograms of rice.

The local administration has promised to send more assistance, such as tents and other supplies.

It is not immediately clear how much damage the eruption has already caused, while the seismology department at the Boru volcano monitoring office has advised local residents to beware of larger eruptions in the coming days.

Deputy East Nusa Tenggara Governor Frans Lebu Raya was quoted by Antara as saying that more people would be evacuated if the situation continued to worsen.

The volcano first erupted on Sunday, spewing lava, rocks, fireballs and sulfur, and billowing a two-kilometer-high column of hot ash.

Villagers from Boru, Boru Kedang, Nawa Kote, Nuri, Nobo Konga and Hokeng Jaya, all located on the slopes of the volcano, were evacuated to safer areas, and no casualties or injuries were reported.

Mount Lewotobi is one of twin mountains that locals affectionately call the "Man and Woman" mountains.