Major eruption shakes Mt Awu, more evacuated

Major eruption shakes Mt Awu, more evacuated

Jongker Rumthe and Fitri Wulandari, Manado/Jakarta

A major eruption again shook Mount Awu on Sangihe Island, North
Sulawesi, on Thursday, hurling stones and spewing smoke and hot
ash, officials said.

No casualties were reported, as some 29,000 villagers living
on the slopes of the 1,320 meter volcano had already been
evacuated to safety.

Volcanologist Syamsulrizal said the eruption occurred at 5:29
a.m., shooting ash, volcanic rubble and rock about 3,000 m high.

"The eruption was the biggest in the last four days. Mount Awu
erupted on June 7, 8 and 9, but those were smaller," he told The
Jakarta Post by phone from an observatory post on the mountain.

He said the rock and rubble fell back onto the slopes, but the
smoke and ash were carried up to 700 m on prevailing winds.

Local villagers said a shower of ash continued to fall in
Tahuna, the main town on Sangihe.

Syamsulrizal warned of further major eruptions in the next few
days, as the volcano had shown increasing activity. "Therefore,
we will maintain the 'red alert' status for Mount Awu."

He also warned evacuated villagers not to return to their
homes in danger zones.

"Many other people who ignored the evacuation order and
remained danger zones fled to safer areas upon hearing the bigger
eruption today (Thursday)," he said.

Sangihe administration spokesman Ferdinand Fenas said refugees
of the volcano numbered some 29,000: 22,000 from 23 hamlets in
danger zones and 7,000 others from unthreatened areas in Tahuna
and nearby districts.

"The number of refugees has soared because people from non-
danger areas have also fled in fear," he said.

A light coating of ash from the mountain, which lies just
south of the Philippines' Mindanao Island, has covered local
beaches and villages.

The volcano last erupted in October 1992, and had a major
eruption in August 1966, killing 40 people and forcing thousands
of others to flee.

In East Java, Mount Bromo, a popular tourist spot in
Probolinggo regency, suddenly erupted on Tuesday, killing a
Singaporean hiker and an Indonesian tourist and injuring five
others.

The victims were hit by a shower of hot rocks expelled by the
2,392 m volcano, which sent a plume of smoke 3,000 m into the
air.

Bromo's eruption has raised questions among the public, as
volcanologists had not issued any warning beforehand.

Hendrasto, head of the national volcanology agency for East
Java and Central Java, said on Wednesday the eruption was
unpredictable because seismographs did not detect any preliminary
quakes that would indicate a possible eruption.

However, Geology and Mineral Resources Director-General Simon
Sembiring at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources
admitted volcanic monitoring in Indonesia was underdeveloped, due
to lack of proper equipment and highly trained experts.

"The number of observatories does not yet meet the minimum
standard because of a limited budget for improving equipment and
human resources," he said in Jakarta on Thursday.

Echoing Simon's statement, Volcanology and Disaster Management
Director Yousana O.P. Siagian said only 70 observatories existed
nationwide and were manned by only 140 experts and staffers.

Simon said five to six of the country's 129 active volcanoes
erupted every year, while six to nine others raise an alert
daily.

Yousana said the office only received an annual budget of only
Rp 2.5 billion to finance its operation, not nearly enough to
procure a full set of advanced monitoring equipment. He is
proposing a Rp 80 billion budget to upgrade volcanology equipment
and facilities.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Rim of Fire, which is known for
its high level of volcanic and seismic activity, and has more
active volcanoes than any other nation in the world.