Residents near Soputan told to stay alert
Residents near Soputan told to stay alert
Yongker Rumthe, The Jakarta Post, Manado, North Sulawesi
Volcanic activities at Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi province
diminished on Saturday, but residents were advised to remain on
full alert as there was a possibility of bigger eruptions, and to
stay indoors to prevent the development of respiratory problems.
Prof. Dr. Winsy Warouw, who chairs the medical committee at
Manado's Malayang Hospital, said villagers must limit outdoor
activities, as volcanic dust particles were dangerous to their
health.
"These particles contain sulfur and other chemical substances
that can damage our health. The ash is particularly dangerous to
those suffering from asthma," he told The Jakarta Post.
Warouw made the warning as he continued to monitor the impact
of the volcano's eruptions on resident's health.
He said that particles from the volcano could cause serious
respiratory problems, skin and eye irritation, coughs or
laryngitis.
The doctor advised residents to wear facial masks when
outdoors, and to shower several times daily to clean the dust
from their bodies.
The Soputan volcano, located near Tomohon village in Minahasa
regency, erupted on Friday morning, belching smoke up to 1,500
meters into the air and hot ashes and lava onto surrounding
areas.
No casualties or injuries were reported.
The volcanic activities slowed on Saturday, with only minor
eruptions continuing, said Jemmy Runtuwene, a volcanology expert
at the Tomohon monitoring post.
"Although the volcano has reduced its eruptions, people are
advised to remain on guard," he said.
Jemmy said Soputan continued to generate mild tremors and
sporadically spewed hot ashes into the sky.
"It projects less ash than on Friday, but there are still
minor eruptions and flames and lava coming from the mount's
crater," he said.
He said that on Friday masses of ash and dust poured down the
mountain, that is located around 23 kilometers from residential
areas.
Strong winds from the northeast part of Soputan carried
volcanic ash over neighboring areas in Minahasa and Manado, he
added.
According to Jemmy, the ash found covering houses in the
subdistricts of Kawangkoan, Tombasian and Tareran was up to three
millimeters thick.
However, none of the local residents were forced to flee to
safer areas, he added.
Jemmy said he and other volcanologists were ordered by
authorities to continue monitoring the volcano 24 hours a day.
Mount Soputan first erupted in 1785. The largest eruption was
in 1989 but there were no casualties. The volcano has continued
to produce lava over the past three years.
In July 2000, the mountain erupted, shooting lava 50 meters
into the air. Explosions and ash emissions continued until August
2000.
Indonesia has the world's highest density of volcanoes with
500 located within a so-called "Belt of Fire" along the 3,000-
mile-long archipelago. Of these, 128 are active and 65 are listed
as dangerous.