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Merapi Spews Lava As Authorities Remain On Alert
Mount Merapi, Indonesia (AFP) Jun 12, 2006 Indonesia's Mount Merapi continued to spew lava and searing clouds of gas and ash Sunday as geologists maintained the top danger alert on the smoldering volcano. Despite losing Friday a huge chunk of the lava dome forming at its peak which lessened the danger of a major eruption, geologists said the volcano - whose name means "Mountain of Fire" - still posed a threat. "The 'Beware' status remains as there are no indications that could point otherwise," said Tri Yani of the vulcanology office in Yogyakarta just south of the volcano. "Beware" status is the top alert on a volcano. Authorities slapped the red alert on May 13 and have since maintained it. The rumbling volcano's activities remained significant, although its lava dome lost around 1.3 million cubic meters of material on Friday evening, releasing heat clouds of gas and ash that reached down five kilometers (three miles) on its southeastern slope. There were no casualties as they did not reach inhabited areas. Some 66 people were killed by such clouds in 1994 during Merapi's last major eruption. On Sunday the volcano spewed a large trail of heat clouds that went four kilometers down its southern slope, Yani said. It also emitted at least 82 torrents of lava, one of which reached as far as three kilometers down its southwestern slope. On Saturday, the Merapi churned out 25 heatcloud cascades up to 3.5 kilometer far, and 145 lava flows up to three kilometers down the slope. Merapi began to build its new lava dome early in May but its activities later settled down before reawakening on May 27 following a strong earthquake that killed more than 5,800 people in and around Yogyakarta. The volcano spewed its largest clouds of volcanic gas, ash and dust on Friday evening, causing panic among residents who scurried down its slopes. More than 18,000 residents evacuated from its flanks are living in makeshift camps. Merapi's deadliest eruption occurred in 1930 when more than 1,300 people were killed.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Read more about Disaster Management systems Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Tropical Depression One Kicks Up In Caribbean Sea
Miami (AFP) Jun 12, 2006The first tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, US forecasters said Saturday. They warned of heavy rainfall, potential flash floods and mudslides in western Cuba, the Cayman Islands and western Florida, as the system moves north, then curves east, according to predictions, over the next two days. |
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