platinum786

Indonesian authorities have ordered the compulsory evacuation of thousands of residents living on the slopes of the volcano Mount Merapi.
The alert level has been raised to the highest level, warning of an imminent eruption of the volcano which has been rumbling ominously for weeks.

The 3,000m (9,700ft) peak, in densely populated Central Java province, is in a state of "constant lava flow".

A gas cloud from the volcano's last eruption in 1994 killed 60 people.

Subandrio, head of the Merapi section at the Centre for Volcanological Research and Technology Development, said: "This morning we raised the status of Merapi to the top alert which is the red code.

"Every resident has been ordered to evacuate."

No choice

The BBC's Rachel Harvey, in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, says the authorities have decided on a mass evacuation after weeks of preparations and warnings.

More than 1,000 people who live closest to the crater - including the elderly and mothers with young children - have already been evacuated.



But some residents have remained reluctant to leave as they fear losing property and livestock.

With the threat status at its highest level, they now have no choice, our correspondent says.

Local television has been showing dramatic night-time pictures of a stream of lava slipping down one side of the mountain.

But scientists warn that the greatest danger could come from hot gasses expelled from the volcano's crater.

Vulcanologist Bambang Dwiyanto said the alert had been raised because "there has been constant lava flows that cause hot gases".


How and why volcanoes erupt.


Animated guide


The lava began to flow on Thursday.

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla toured the area on Thursday and ordered 50% of the population in the danger zone be moved.

Indonesia, part of the Asia-Pacific "Ring of Fire", has at least 129 active volcanoes.

Mount Merapi, which some locals consider sacred, overlooks the ancient city of Jogjakarta.

One of its deadliest eruptions was in 1930, when about 1,300 people were killed.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/4767805.stm

alokindia2020

lol

platinum786

you find natural disasters amusing?

I hope this was a reply to the wrong topic.

alokindia2020

I think this is the wrong forum and there is nothing political about it and nothing to do with south asia

platinum786

Yes, Indonesia certainly isn't in the southern half of the asian continent.

There is no political impact to millions of potentially homeless poeple in Indonesia.

alokindia2020

Just like scammels!

Akshay

This is indeed a sad news. Has Indonesian government done something to vacate the area around the fallout?

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Lunatock

Yeah...exactly what is so amusing about this Volcano about to blow it's top?!

Confed999

And what are "scammels"?

__________________
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

Confed999

I hope they get out. There are always those people who believe they can ride out the storm, I know this for sure, I'm one of those fools...

Lunatock

Though lava has never been much of a threat to the South...

Confed999

No, no threat at all 'round here. But I'm sure there will be people who stay, just like every other disaster.

Hari_Om

From the Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan :

That would be telling.

platinum786

I would love to be able to see a volcano explode, fro a really safe distance....it's must be the most terrifying sight. indonesia has had a rough few years, Bali, Tsunami's...now volcano's, they could do witha break.

Lunatock

From Braveheart also (co-)starring Patrick McGoohan.

What would you tell me about the, present situation?!