Thousands of villagers defied warnings of a major eruption at one of Indonesia's deadliest volcanos, leaving refugee centers yesterday and returning to its slopes to tend to crops and animals.
Late Tuesday, up to 50,000 fled or were evacuated from villages close to Mount Kelud after the volcano was placed on the highest alert level, meaning scientists believe an eruption may be imminent.
The 1,731m volcano, which has for several weeks been showing signs of an eruption, last blew its top in 1990, killing dozens of people. In 1919, a powerful explosion destroyed a hundred villages and claimed 5,160 lives.
PHOTO: AP
Despite the danger, local government official Sigit Rahardjo said most of those evacuated returned home yesterday after complaining they had received no food and saying they had to tend to crops.
Witnesses saw scores of trucks loaded with people and thousands of motorbikes leaving temporary evacuation camps and heading back up the mountain.
"There was no food at all," said Darmiashiah, a 33-year-old woman who returned to the village of Sugihwaras, well within in the evacuation zone.
"If I get told to leave again, I will not go," said Darmiashiah, who goes by a single name.
Emergency coordinator Herry Noegroho promised more tents and food at refugee centers.
Unlike some volcanos, Mount Kelud does not smoke or rumble in the run up to an eruption.
Scientists said that the temperature of its crater-lake was rising quickly and they had logged hundreds of volcanic earthquakes triggered deep inside the mountain, both signs an eruption may be imminent.
"It never shows its true nature," said government volcanologist Surono, who goes by a single name. "It is better to raise the status than see people killed."
Kelud is on Java island about 620km east of the capital, Jakarta.
Its explosive activity typically starts with a steam blast -- when surfacing magma meets ground water. Such eruptions produce hot mud flows and pyroclastic surges and flows.
Many people were heeding the warning, however.
"I can still remember the last eruption," said 70-year-old Kasemi who was staying in a government building with dozens of other people. "It went dark because of the ash, and the explosions were terrifying."
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent. "Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Hsu's sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu (徐熙娣) said. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to
REMINDER: Of the 6.78 million doses of flu vaccine Taiwan purchased for this flu season, about 200,000 are still available, an official said, following Big S’ death As news broke of the death of Taiwanese actress and singer Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), also known as Big S (大S), from severe flu complications, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and doctors yesterday urged people at high risk to get vaccinated and be alert to signs of severe illness. Hsu’s family yesterday confirmed that the actress died on a family holiday in Japan due to pneumonia during the Lunar New Year holiday. CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) told an impromptu news conference that hospital visits for flu-like illnesses from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25 reached 162,352 — the highest
TAIWAN DEFENSE: The initiative would involve integrating various systems in a fast-paced manner through the use of common software to obstruct a Chinese invasion The first tranche of the US Navy’s “Replicator” initiative aimed at obstructing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be ready by August, a US Naval Institute (USNI) News report on Tuesday said. The initiative is part of a larger defense strategy for Taiwan, and would involve launching thousands of uncrewed submarines, surface vessels and aerial vehicles around Taiwan to buy the nation and its partners time to assemble a response. The plan was first made public by the Washington Post in June last year, when it cited comments by US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue
COMBINING FORCES: The 66th Marine Brigade would support the 202nd Military Police Command in its defense of Taipei against ‘decapitation strikes,’ a source said The Marine Corps has deployed more than 100 soldiers and officers of the 66th Marine Brigade to Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) as part of an effort to bolster defenses around the capital, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. Two weeks ago, a military source said that the Ministry of National Defense ordered the Marine Corps to increase soldier deployments in the Taipei area. The 66th Marine Brigade has been tasked with protecting key areas in Taipei, with the 202nd Military Police Command also continuing to defend the capital. That came after a 2017 decision by the ministry to station
RSS