Volcanic mudflow kills three in eastern Indonesia

Volcanic mudflow kills three in eastern Indonesia

2011-12-29 10:37:14 GMT+7 (ICT)

TERNATE, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least three people were killed on late Tuesday evening when mudflows streaming from Mount Gamalama in eastern Indonesia hit several nearby villages, officials said on Wednesday.

The flood of volcanic material hit several villages which are situated on the slopes of the volcano, which is located on the island of Ternate in the Maluku Islands, off the west coast of Halmahera. Provincial spokesman Andi Arief told the Jakarta Post that the floods destroyed several houses in Tubo and Tofure villages.

Andi said the flooding also hit the Togorara and Marikurubu rivers, destroying several houses along the riverbanks. "Initial data cited that three people died, while many other residents were evacuated to a school building and the former North Maluku governor's office," he added.

Mt. Gamalama last erupted on December 4, spewing ash up to 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) high and resulting in the evacuation of thousands of people living in the region. Tuesday's flooding was the result of heavy rains which washed the volcanic debris down.

In addition to the fatalities, who were aged 50, 10 and 5, one person has been reported missing and is believed to have been killed. Two other people were being treated at Chasan Boesoerie hospital for various injuries.

As a result of the incident, the alert level at the volcano has been raised to level 3, the second highest. The country's Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) uses a warning system with four levels of alerts, with level 1 being the lowest and level 4 being the highest.

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