VOLCANO MADNESS: [Geology2] Sulawesi's Mount Soputan Erupts, No Evacuations Ordered

Sunday, July 3, 2011

[Geology2] Sulawesi's Mount Soputan Erupts, No Evacuations Ordered

Sulawesi's Mount Soputan Erupts, No Evacuations Ordered
Nurfika Osman | July 03, 2011

Photos obtained exclusively by the Jakarta Globe show Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi erupting on Sunday morning. The pictures, shot by pilot Peter Bosch, were taken from the cockpit of his 737 at 7:25 a.m. local time, or about 90 minutes after the volcano began sending searing gas 6,000 meters into the air. Bosch said the eruption was not known to air traffic control at that time but the plane was able to maintain a safe distance from the ash cloud. "Pilots are trained to recognise this kind of activity, and how to avoid the ash clouds," Bosch told the Globe. "Therefore, there was no danger at any given time." (JG Photo/Peter Bo

Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi erupted on Sunday morning at around 6:03 a.m. local time, sending searing gas 6,000 meters into the air, but officials said it posed no danger yet.

There were no reports of casualties as of 8:00 a.m. and the spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said there was so far no need to order an evacuation.

"They nearest residents live some eight kilometers from the mountain and so evacuation is not yet necessary," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Sunday.

Iing Kusnadi, a scientist at the volcano's monitoring post, told AFP that the recommended evacuation zone was set at a six-kilometer radius around the volcano but there's only forest in that range.

Sutopo said heat clouds from the mountain were heading west.

"Last night, at around 11 p.m., the mountain entered its eruption phase," he said, adding that the local BNPB and the Indonesian Red Cross were collaborating closely in order to prevent damages.

Soputan, one of Sulawesi's most active volcanoes, last erupted in 2008 with no fatalities recorded.Additional reporting from AFP
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