Mount Gamalama erupts in Indonesia- residents urged to stay calm

Posted on December 4, 2011 by
December 4, 2011 – INDONESIA – Mount Gamalama in Indonesia’s North Maluku province erupted at 23:00 local time on Sunday (1400 GMT), releasing volcanic ashes. There is no death or material loss due to the eruption. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of the Center of Data, Information and Public Relation at the National Agency of Disaster Management (BNPB), said in a statement that people living around the foot of the volcano have took refuge to safer places. However, some of them chose to stay at their houses. “The Regional Agency of Disaster Mitigation (BPBD) of North Maluku province keeps coordinating with related institutions for emergency handling. It keeps monitoring and recording (the situation),” said Nugroho. Some parts of the provincial capital city of Ternate were covered by ash rain and blackout was occurred at the foot of the volcano. People were urged to stay calm. “Yes it erupted but we asked people to stay calm,” Surono, head of the Center of Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation ( PVMBG) told the country’s largest news portal detikcom. The last eruption recorded at the volcano was in 2008. –CRI English
contribution Yamkin
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This entry was posted in 2012, Earth Changes, Earth Watch, Earthquake Omens?, High-risk potential hazard zone, Potential Earthchange hotspot, Seismic tremors, Volcanic Eruption, Volcano Watch. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Mount Gamalama erupts in Indonesia- residents urged to stay calm

  2. yamkin says:
    December 5, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Indonesia Closes Airport After Volcano Erupts

    JAKARTA — Indonesia closed a domestic airport in eastern Indonesia on Monday after a volcano spewed ash 2,000 metres into the air, an official said.
    Mount Gamalama, which forms the entire island of Ternate in North Maluku province, erupted late Sunday and forced an airport in Ternate town at its foot to close Monday, transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said.
    “It’s a safety measure. The volcanic ash may pose a risk to planes. If there is no more eruption, the airport may be opened tomorrow,” he added.
    The 1,715-metre (5,630 feet) volcano caused some panic when it erupted, Darno Lamane, a scientist monitoring the peak told AFP.
    “It shot ash and dust particles 2,000 metres into the sky. There were no reports of casualties or injuries but people did panic for a while, screaming as they ran out of their homes,” he said.
    “The situation has calmed and many residents have gone back home. We will continue to monitor the volcanic activity,” he added.
    Lamane said that the volcano last erupted in 2003, when no fatalities were recorded.
    Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The archipelago nation is home to 129 active volcanoes, including 21 on Java.
    http://www.deccanherald.com/content/209485/indonesia-closes-airport-volcano-erupts.html

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