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31: Mount Kelud erupts in Indonesia, killing 3 – forcing the evacuation of 100,000
February 14, 2014 – INDONESIA – A
volcano eruption in Indonesia killed three people and forced tens of
thousands more out of their homes, the disaster management agency said
Friday. Two died from smoke inhalation while the third was hit by a
collapsing wall. Officials had originally reported two deaths due to
falling building debris. Mount Kelud in the eastern part of the main
island Java has been spewing ash for at least two days high into the
air, as a smoke plume has risen from out of its crater into the sky. The
government raised its eruption alert to its highest level overnight,
and authorities have ordered an evacuation of all residents in a
10-kilometer (6.2 miles) radius of the volcano in eastern Java. At the
height of the crisis Friday, 100,000 people evacuated, but that number
later dropped to more than 75,000. Seven airports closed due to volcanic
ash, which filled the skies and can lead to jet engine problems.
Lightning was seen striking the
volcano’s peak as it spewed debris, according to National Disaster
Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. The nation’s
volcanology agency said other smaller eruptions could happen.
Authorities urged people to stay outside the 10-kilometer radius.
Pictures from the scene show large black plumes rising over Mount Kelud,
raining pebbles and ash on the surrounding area. The military has been
called in to help evacuate people from the area to nearby shelters.
Mount Kelud last erupted in 2007, but it has recently ramped up activity
in the past 10 days. In 1990, an eruption killed more than 30 people
and injured hundreds. Indonesia is part of the vast “Pacific Ring of
Fire,” an area of colliding continental plates where powerful
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur. -CNN
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