Indonesia's volcano eruption forces massive evacuation

A volcano in Sumatra island of Indonesia erupted for the second time on Monday, killing two persons, forcing more than 27,000 people to escape homes, and threatening international aviation.

The number of evacuee is expected to jump to over 34,000, should all those living in the risky zone of 6 kilometers from the mount escape homes, spokesman of Disaster Management Agency Priyadi Kardono told Xinhua.

The 2,400-meter high mount Sinabung spew ash and smoke by up to more than 2,000 meters high on Monday, threatening to hamper international flight as the wind blow direction at this season is toward the north of the island where most of the international flights are coming from, Transport Ministry and Meteorology Agency officials told Xinhua.

Smoke has enveloped western parts of the province and has started to disturb flights, an official at Polonia main airport in the province Agus Maulana said.

"Today a plane operated by Susi Air from Sibolga cancels flight to Polonia because of the smoke," he told Xinhua over phone from the province.

Shelters at the evacuation centers have been overloaded and many of the evacuees have suffered from respiratory problem, said Kardono.

The quick eruption of mount Sinabung on Sunday has led the authorities make an instant preparation by shifting several buildings into refugee shelters, said Kardono.

"The problems at the shelters now is overload and it may become severer as the people keep fleeing to the refugee centers. Besides some of the evacuees have got disease, most of them have respiratory problem," Kardono said.

The Volcanology Agency has not been certain yet when they will downgrade the top alert status of the mount, and recommended those living in the risky area of 6 kilometers from the mount to leave the area, head of the agency named only Surono has said.

The Sunday's eruption was the volcano's first eruption in 400 years. Indonesia has the highest density of volcanoes in the world with about 500 in the "Belt of Fire" in the 5,000-kilometer-long archipelago nation. Nearly 130 are active and 68 are listed as dangerous.

Emergency aids have reached and been underway to the place where evacuees gather.

The agency has sent over 500 million rupiah funds (some 56,179 U.S. dollars), the Health Ministry has also sent relief funds and Ministry of Social Affair will send logistic, said Priyadi.

Source: Xinhua