Thousands flee Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung volcano (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
In this photo taken with slow shutter speed, hot lava flows from the crater of Mount Sinabung as seen from Tiga Serangkai, North Sumatra, Indonesia, early Monday. Pic: AP.
By Asian Correspondent Staff Jun 16, 2015Authorities in western Indonesia have evacuated more villagers living near the Mount Sinabung volcano.
The restive mountain, which has been rumbling for weeks, has been alarming officials in recent days after it unleashed more plumes of smoke and ash into the air.
Government volcanologist Gede Suantika says at least 28 hot ash avalanches occurred at Mount Sinabung on Monday and that there are indications the crater’s lava dome continues to grow in size.
Villagers carry their belongings as they are evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Sinabung in Kuta Tengah, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday. Pic: AP.
Subur Tambun, head of the local disaster mitigation agency, said hundreds of residents were being evacuated Monday from three villages. More than 1,000 people are thought to have left the area Monday, bringing the total number of evacuees to more than 3,000.
Subur said 99 families were moved from a village on Saturday when the mountain unleashed a new powerful burst, sending hot ash as far as 3 kilometers (2 miles) down its southeastern slopes.
Authorities have been closely monitoring 2,460-meter-high (8,070-foot) Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island since June 2, when its threat status was raised to the highest alert level.
Sinabung has been erupting sporadically since 2010, before which it was dormant for centuries.
The videos below show some of the activity on the volcano this month:
