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Volcano: Villagers frustrated
22/10/2007 12:09 - (SA)
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| Indonesian students wear masks to protect themselves against volcanic ashes at a school in Blitar, East Java. (Trisnadi, AP) |
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Mount Kelud, Indonesia - The threat of an eruption at one of Indonesia's deadliest volcano's remains high despite a slowdown in activity over the last 24 hours, a government vulcanologist said on Monday, as frustration mounted among tens of thousands of villagers forced to flee its slopes.
The alert level at Mount Kelud was raised to its highest level one week ago following a series of powerful underground tremors and sharply rising temperatures in the lake of its crater, which has turned from turquoise to white as sulfur levels increased.
But there has been no major activity since Sunday, said Surono, a senior government vulcanologist, making it all the more difficult to convince evacuees to remain in makeshift refugee shelters near its base.
"We are still in a situation of high alert," he said, noting that Mount Kelud has a history of only large eruptions, never small. "Once it goes off, it will be big. This is why we keep reminding people they have to stay clear of the crater."
The last eruption of Mount Kelud in 1990 killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that could be heard hundreds of kilometres away destroyed dozens of villages and killed at least 5 160 people.
Authorities have ordered 116 000 people living along the volcano's fertile slopes to leave their homes, but more than 12 000 refused, saying they needed to tend to their crops and animals and protect against possible looting.
Many of those forced to evacuate were losing patience, meanwhile. And money.
Suyatno, who earns one US dollar a day picking cloves and coffee beans for a private plantation company, said he was eager to return to his village of Candi Sewu, five kilometres from Mount Kelud's peak.
"I can't wait any longer," said the 38-year-old father of three. "I have to work. I need money for my family."
- AP
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