ZCZC
BFF-26
INDONESIA-VOLCANO
Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano bursts to life
JAKARTA, Nov 30, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Thousands have fled the scene of a
rumbling Indonesian volcano that burst to life for the first time in several
years, belching a massive column of smoke and ash, the disaster agency said
Monday.
The evacuation of more than 4,400 residents came as Mount Ili Lewotolok
erupted Sunday, spouting a thick tower of debris four kilometres (2.5 miles)
into the sky, triggering a flight warning and the closure of a local airport.
The crater’s last major eruption was in 2017.
There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruption in a remote
part of the Southeast Asian archipelago.
But authorities advised residents to wear masks to protect themselves from
volcanic ash spouting from the crater in East Nusa Tenggara — the
southernmost province of Indonesia — and to be alert for possible lava
flows.
“To minimise the health impact from volcanic ash, it is recommended that
people wear a mask or other equipment to protect their eyes and skin,”
National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Raditya Jati said.
A two-kilometre no-go zone around the crater was also expanded to four
kilometres after Sunday’s eruption, while flights were advised to steer clear
of the area as volcanic ash rained down on the local Wunopitu airport, which
was temporarily closed.
Indonesia is home to about 130 active volcanoes due to its position on the
“Ring of Fire”, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific
Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs.
In late 2018, a volcano in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands
erupted, causing an underwater landslide that unleashed a tsunami which
killed more than 400 people.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1450 hrs