Volcano erupts in western Indonesia, killing at least 14

[News_Editor]

MEDAN, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least fourteen people were killed Saturday when a volcano erupted on the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia, just a day after villagers further away from the crater were allowed to return to their homes because volcanic activity was believed to have decreased.

Mount Sinabung, located around 52 kilometers (32 miles) southwest of Sumatra's main city of Medan, first erupted at 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday when it spewed hot rocks and ash up to 2,000 meters (6,550 feet) into the air for nearly 8 minutes. It was followed immediately by a second eruption lasting more than 3.5 minutes and a short eruption lasting just over a minute at 11:27 a.m.

Saturday's eruption sent lava, searing gas and rocks down the volcano's southern slopes, reaching as far as 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from its crater. A 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius had previously been ordered to evacuate, but many residents have repeatedly ignored the order and have returned to stay overnight.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), said at least 14 people were killed and 3 others were injured. "All the dead and injured were in the village of Sukameriah and were overcome by searing gases," he said, adding that search and rescue teams would look for more victims on Sunday.

Among the victims were at least three students aged 17, four students in their 20s, an elementary school teacher, and possibly a journalist.

The eruption came just a day after the country's Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) reported that it had not detected any significant volcanic activity at Mount Sinabung in recent days, allowing villagers outside the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius to return to their homes.

"Many things have been done such as the installation of signs and the deployment of officers to prevent citizens from entering the prohibited 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius, but there are still people who enter the hazardous areas," Sutopo explained. "There are now 16 villages that must be evacuated because it is too dangerous. Refugees are not allowed to go home."

Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country in the world and sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity. Two people were killed in August 2010 when Mount Sinabung also erupted, which marked the volcano's first known eruption since 1600.

One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes is Mount Merapi, which is located on the island of Java near Jogjakarta, the country's second-most visited area after Bali. Between October and November 2010, a series of eruptions took place at the volcano, killing at least 353 people and displacing more than 300,000 others.

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[Credo]

I would rather not live near a volcano. Those things don't fake eruptions.

[folium]

I would rather not live near a volcano. Those things don't fake eruptions.

Almost 500 million people around the planet take a different view, as that is the estimated number of living near volcanoes.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/NatHazards/

Why?

Soils

Microclimate

Tourism

Geothermal energy

Views

No events for a generation, thus diminished hazard perception (Sinabung had not erupted for 400 years prior to 2010)

No alternative

Volcanoes are also not that deadly compared to other natural hazards.

Since 1900 approx. 76,000 have died in volcanic eruptions and most came in just 2 events, St Pierre in 1902 (c. 30,000) and Nevada del Ruiz in 1985 (c. 25,000). By comparison earthquakes have killed approximately 2.2 million since 1900 and flooding has killed in excess of 10 million people since 1900.

Thus living next door to a volcano is a far less risky occupation than living in a flood prone area. Eruptions are spectacular and deadly but relatively rare given there are "only" some 1500 potentially active volcanoes on the planet, of which some 500 have actually erupted in historical times. Having said that if we do have a VEI 8, supervolcanic, eruption on a scale of Yellowstone, Toba or Taupo we are all stuffed anyway, irrespective of where you live....At least we will go out with a spectacular bang!

[Credo]

But the 14 that were killed probably agree with me.

A lot of the people in Montserrat would probably agree as well.

[folium]

But the 14 that were killed probably agree with me.

A lot of the people in Montserrat would probably agree as well.

Of the 16 killed at Sinabung, 6 were members of a school trip and a journalist come to see the eruption. Volcanoes are a dangerous magnet for people. The other casualties were locals who had only recently returned after a 5 km exclusion zone was lifted to allow people to return to their properties.

The issue of evacuation is always a tricky one, especially in densely populated areas. Move too soon and you run the risk of accusations of crying wolf. Move too late and you have a rerun of Nevada del Ruiz when the USGS had actually produced hazard maps showing that Armero had been the site of previous lahar incidents and was likely to be still vulnerable. Unfortunately the local authorities did nothing.

The obvious answer is to clear potential danger areas around a volcano. At Merapi an eruption in 1998(?) allowed the authorities to declare the affected area a National Park and thus prevent the evacuated from returning to live in their previous homes. Sadly this meant that with the next eruption episode in late 2010, many refused to comply with the evacuation order fearing they would be barred from returning. As a result over 200 died in pyroclastic flows.

Unlike earthquakes, almost all major eruptions are preceded by significant eruptive and seismic activity over weeks, months, even years. That's why relatively few victims of the AD79 eruption that hit Pompeii & Herculaneum have been found so far.

Soufriere Hills in Montserrat had not seen a significant eruption since the mid 17th century until it became active in 1995. With a population of under 10,000 evacuation was fairly simple to arrange. Unfortunately people decided to ignore the exclusion zone and returned to their farms/homes with disastrous consequences for 19 people caught in a pyroclastic flow in 1997. Subsequent to that almost two thirds of the island was put off limits and 60% of the population permanently evacuated. Eruptions on Montserrat are still continuing.

Living next to volcanoes is obviously risky but the many advantages outweigh this risk especially when ther has been no activity for over a generation.

Mercifully, compared to quakes and weather related hazards, eruptions are uncommon and kill few. The bigger question is why millions live in Tokyo or LA/SFO when it is only a matter if time before theses areas are hit by a sizeable quake.