Volcano eruption forces PNG evacuations

[senorpepr]

Voluntary evacuations have begun on a tiny Papua New Guinea island after a major volcanic eruption spewed ash 14 kilometers into the air and blanketed homes, crops and water supplies, officials said today.

The volcano on Manam, off the country's north coast, began erupting in October but a severe burst on Tuesday night prompted authorities to upgrade volcanic activity to stage 3, and urge voluntary evacuations.

A Papua New Guinea volcanologist said the volcano coughed up lava and large rocks.
An aviation red alert was issued for aircraft to avoid the area, with an ash plume extending 130km south-east of Manam.

"The people of Manam are helpless - living on an island that is sitting on a deadly volcano," said Minister for Inter-Government Relations Sir Peter Barter, who has called for assistance for the islanders of Manam.

"The Manam people's food gardens and water sources have been severely affected by the continuous ash falls from the Manam volcano since October 24," he told the Post Courier newspaper.

"Hunger is setting in because the islanders have lost their food gardens over the past month since the volcano started erupting," Sir Barter said.

Emergency officials said an area was being cleared on the mainland for a possible full-scale evacuation of Manam's 9,600 islanders.

A 1996 eruption on Manam killed 13 people and forced the majority of islanders to be evacuated.
Evacuation becomes compulsory if volcanic activity intensifies and reaches stage 4.
Manam is only 10km wide, about 13km from the coast, with villages scattered around the sides of the central volcano, which towers 1,807 meters above sea level.

The US Geological Survey said Tuesday's eruption sent ash 14km into the air.
Papua New Guinea's Rabaul Island volcanological observatory said lava flowed down the north-east side of the volcano after the eruption, with rocks thrown up among the dark gray ash.

"Some 20 bush homes have collapsed due to mud rain and five people have been injured," said volcanologist Herman Patia.

Manam's first recorded eruption was in 1616, and it has erupted at least 30 times since.

[Wnghs2007]

Wow. That majorly sucks. It will be along time before the area affected recovers. Sadly.