At least 11 people were killed and three others seriously injured after a volcanic eruption rocked North Sumatra, Indonesia’s national disaster agency (NDA) said on February 1.
The 2,475-metre-high Mount Sinabung has been rumbling for months, and residents in near the volcano were evacuated in the days before the eruption. However, the danger was believed to have passed and 14,000 evacuees were permitted to return home the day before the latest blast, according to NDA spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
The volcano spewed columns of ash about 2 km into the air and spread hot rocks and ash over a 4.50 km radius.
Activity at the volcano began in September last year after remaining quiet for 400 years.
After an increase in movement in November and December, local authorities expanded a danger zone stretching a five-kilometre radius around the mountain.
Indonesia sees a great deal of seismic activities due to its position above many volcanoes and fault lines on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of fire’.-VNA
The 2,475-metre-high Mount Sinabung has been rumbling for months, and residents in near the volcano were evacuated in the days before the eruption. However, the danger was believed to have passed and 14,000 evacuees were permitted to return home the day before the latest blast, according to NDA spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
The volcano spewed columns of ash about 2 km into the air and spread hot rocks and ash over a 4.50 km radius.
Activity at the volcano began in September last year after remaining quiet for 400 years.
After an increase in movement in November and December, local authorities expanded a danger zone stretching a five-kilometre radius around the mountain.
Indonesia sees a great deal of seismic activities due to its position above many volcanoes and fault lines on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of fire’.-VNA
