Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau releases toxic gases

[News_Editor]

Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau releases toxic gases

2010-11-04 00:00:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Indonesian officials on Wednesday warned residents of lethal gases following Mount Anak Krakatau's increased volcanic activity.

Monitoring chief of Mount Anak Krakatau in Cinangka, Anton Tripambundi, warned that if the gas is inhaled, it could lead to fatal consecuences. For those who inhale, a shortness of breath will be experienced, fainting, and even death.

Hot ash was spewed out of the volcano, reaching up to 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) into the sky and releasing toxic gases. Mount Anak Krakatau is located on the Sunda Strait off the west coast of Java, near Krakatau Island and to the southeast of Sumatra.

“The poisonous gas of Anak Krakatau is not tasteless, odorless, and does not have form. So the existence of a toxic gas might not be noticed if you are in the area,†Tripambundi said, explaining that there are 10 different types of toxic gas contents released during the eruption.

One of the toxic gases is carbon dioxide.

Tripambundi warned people to maintain a distance of at least 2 kilometers from the volcano as wind direction could shift the gases at any given moment.

The Geological Disaster Management and Volcanology Center (PVMBG) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has issued a ban on everyone, especially fishermen and tourists, from being in the vicinity of at least two kilometers off the volcano.

Even though its normal that the volcano spews gas, Agus Budianto, PVMBG Monitoring Center chief, explained that frequent fows of toxic gas indicate a possible eruption at any time.

On Tuesday, Andi Suhardi, who heads the Anak Krakatau observation, explained that the volcano usually has 90 to 100 small scale eruptions on a daily basis, but currently up to 700 minor eruptions are recorded every day.

The PVMBG has put Anak Krakatau's status at a yellow alert. Indonesia currently has 19 volcanoes on yellow alert.

The last time Mount Anak Krakatau exploded was in 2001, then on October 23, 2007.

In August 1883, Krakatau erupted and killed at least 40,000 people, creating what is considered to have been the loudest sound in world history as it was heard up to 4,828 kilometers (3,000 miles) away. The eruption discharged the energy of 13,000 nuclear bombs similar to the size and strength of Little Boy, which was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

The eruption destroyed over 70 percent of the island and began the formation of Anak Krakatau, which translates to Krakatau's Child and grows an estimated 5 meters (16.4 feet) each year.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-04

[jombom]

This is a fairly classic line from this ''NEWS'' report.

''Even though its normal that the volcano spews gas, Agus Budianto, PVMBG Monitoring Center chief, explained that frequent fows of toxic gas indicate a possible eruption at any time. ''

The only toxic gas mentioned in the report is carbon dioxide ---- we better stop exhaling or maybe inhaling. The mind boggles ----- truly.