Three injured in renewed activity at Indonesia volcano
Published on Feb 01, 2014
6:08 PM
A woman flees as Mount Sinabung erupts near Bekerah village, in Karo district, North Sumatra, on Feb 1, 2014. Three men were treated in intensive care for burn injuries Saturday, Feb 1, 2014, after being engulfed in scorching clouds from Indonesia's Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said.-- PHOTO: REUTERS
KARO, Indonesia (AFP) - Three men were treated in intensive care for burn injuries Saturday after being engulfed in scorching clouds from Indonesia's Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said.
Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra had shown a reduction of activity since mid-January.
But it erupted again on Saturday morning, sending hot rocks and ash up to 2,000 metres into the air, blanketing the surrounding countryside with grey dust, said volcanologist Kristianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
A man and his son were caught by the clouds when they went to Sukameriah village, 2.7 kilometres south of Sinabung crater to pay respect at the graves of their relatives.
Another man who came to the village to check his long-abandoned house, was also trapped and injured by the deadly clouds which swamped the village, officials said.
"While they were there, Sinabung erupted and spewed hot clouds. They did not manage to escape," Karo district official, Johnson Tarigan, told AFP.
He said the three were in an intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Thirty-thousand people have taken refuge since the volcano started erupting in September.
Some have returned home on Friday following advice from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation that houses outside the five-kilometre radius from Sinabung are safe.
Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It had been quiet for around 400 years until it rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September last year.
In August 2013, five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a small island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.
The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of eruptions in 2010.
11 killed in renewed activity at Indonesia volcano
Published on Feb 01, 2014
9:25 PM
A woman flees as Mount Sinabung erupts near Bekerah village, in Karo district, North Sumatra, on Feb 1, 2014. Three men were treated in intensive care for burn injuries Saturday, Feb 1, 2014, after being engulfed in scorching clouds from Indonesia's Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said.-- PHOTO: REUTERS
KARO, Indonesia (AFP) -Eleven people, including four schoolchildren, were killed Saturday after they were engulfed by scorching ash clouds spat outby Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said.
Eight people were found dead in Sukameriah village, near Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra, four or whom were high school students on a sightseeing trip to the volcano, said SutopoPurwoNugroho, thespokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.
Three other bodies were recovered from the village in the late afternoon and taken to hospital for identification, Nugroho added.
Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra had shown a reduction of activity since mid-January.
But it erupted again on Saturday morning, sending hot rocks and ash up to 2,000 metres into the air, blanketing the surrounding countryside with grey dust, said volcanologist Kristianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
A man and his son were caught by the clouds when they went to Sukameriah village, 2.7 kilometres south of Sinabung crater to pay respect at the graves of their relatives.
Another man who came to the village to check his long-abandoned house, was also trapped and injured by the deadly clouds which swamped the village, officials said.
"While they were there, Sinabung erupted and spewed hot clouds. They did not manage to escape," Karo district official, Johnson Tarigan, told AFP.
He said the three were in an intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Thirty-thousand people have taken refuge since the volcano started erupting in September.
Some have returned home on Friday following advice from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation that houses outside the five-kilometre radius from Sinabung are safe.
Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It had been quiet for around 400 years until it rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September last year.
In August 2013, five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a small island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.
The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of eruptions in 2010.
Schoolchildren among 14 killed by Indonesia volcano eruption
Published on Feb 02, 2014
6:47 AM
A woman flees as Mount Sinabung erupts near Bekerah village, in Karo district, North Sumatra, on Feb 1, 2014. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
KARO, Indonesia (AFP) - Fourteen people, including four schoolchildren, were killed on Saturday, Feb 1, 2014, after they were engulfed in scorching ash clouds spat out by Indonesia's Mount Sinabung in its biggest eruption in recent days, officials said.
Dark, searing clouds rolling down the mountain left apocalyptic scenes of ash-covered bodies scattered by a roadside in Sukameriah village, just 2.7km from the volcano's crater, an AFP witness who helped with the evacuation said.
Officials fear there could be more fatalities from Saturday's eruptions, but due to the high potential of lethal heat clouds spewing from the mountain, a search and rescue mission has been grounded, officials said.
"We suspect there are more victims but we cannot recover them because the victims are in the path of the hot (ash) clouds," said Mr SutopoPurwoNugroho, the spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.
All 14 bodies have been identified. Four of them were high school students on a sightseeing trip to the volcano on the western island of Sumatra, he added.
"The bodies were in a state where, even though their skin did not peel, their faces were swollen and the tongues were sticking out," an AFP reporter on the ground said.
Three other people - a father and his son who wanted to pay respects at the graves of their relatives, and a man who came to the village to check his long-abandoned house - were also trapped and injured by the deadly clouds, Karo district official Johnson Tarigan told AFP.
He said the three were in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Thirty thousand people have been evacuated from the area since the volcano started erupting in September.
But some residents had returned home on Friday following advice from the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation that houses outside the 5km radius from the mountain were safe.
The volcano erupted again on Saturday morning, sending hot rocks and ash up 2,000m into the air, blanketing the surrounding countryside with grey dust, said volcanologist Kristianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Sukameriah village is located in the red zone, where human activities are strictly banned, but locals often trespassed the restricted area to check on their houses and belongings as well as their crops, officials said.
Mr Nugroho said the evacuation will resume on Sunday.
Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It had been quiet for around 400 years until it rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September last year.
In August 2013, five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a small island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.
The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of eruptions in 2010.
Italy hit by flooding, snow, windstorms
Published on Feb 02, 2014
6:29 AM
A couple looks the Tiber river by downtown Rome's Tiberina's Island, as the river's water level is rising following heavy rains in the region on Feb 1, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP
ROME (AFP) - Heavy rains and windstorms battered Italy on Saturday, swelling rivers and flooding fields and roads, while alpine areas saw abundant snow.
The spate of bad weather was expected to last until Tuesday.
AFP images of Ponte Milviobridge in northern Rome show the Tiber river's level nearing the tops of its arches. The river Arno in Pisa was also swollen.
Fields and roads were flooded along the length of many rivers in central Italy.
In the Prima Porta neighbourhood of the capital, streets, garages, basements and sports fields were inundated.
The civil protection authorities said the Tiber would remain below alarm levels.
Near Pisa, in Ponsacco, 1,600 residents were forced to find shelter with relatives and friends after floodwaters invaded or threatened the ground floors of their homes, media reports said. In San Miniato, around 1,000 people were evacuated as a precaution.
Venice experienced an especially severe "acquaalta" (high water) measuring 104cm, leaving some tourist areas under water, including Saint Mark's Square.
Many tourists could be seen wearing cheap orange boots that they bought to deal with the flooding, and the city provided raised platforms to help people get around.
In the mountains, temperatures began to warm up, raising fears of avalanches. Heavy snowfall has made communications difficult and caused power outages.
A strong sirocco wind swept the Gulf of Naples, while fog and heavy rains plagued Calabria in the far south, where driving was difficult and trees had fallen.