Indonesia : Massive evacuation after volcanic activity
Thousands of Indonesians have been forced to flee when Mount Ili Lewotolok began to erupt on Sunday 29th November. The column of ashes and smoke reached more than 5 km high and forced the closure of the local airport. This eruption is one of three to occur recently, following the Mount Sinabung activity on Sumatra island last August.
At least 2,700 people have been evacuated from 28 villages situated near the volcano, which is located on the north part of the island of Lembata, east of the Indonesian archipelagos. Despite the anxiety among the population, no death or injuries have been reported after the eruption [2].
Threat level and measure
The alert level in the area has been raised by the authorities from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (CVGHMC) from three to four, the second highest level. They recommended the wearing of mask to protect against the negative effects of ashes and a four kilometers radius security zone around the volcano has been defined to avoid risks.
According to the center, based on ground observation, the ongoing ash emission reached a maximum of 5,676 meters high and began to divide in two direction, causing a flight warning for the entire region [5].
Pacific belt “ring of fire”
The Indonesian archipelagos is situated in a active continental margin, resulting in the presence of a large amount of volcanoes across its 17,000 islands. A total of 129 active volcanoes are counted, of which 65 are classified as dangerous.
The “ring of fire” belt represents a high seismic and volcanic activity line circling the Pacific Ocean induced by the tectonic plates boundaries. In recent months three volcanic eruption have been reported in Indonesia, the Mont Ili Lewotolok’s following the Merapi volcano on the island of Java and the Sinabung volcano on Sumatra. In late 2018, the Krakatau volcano caused a submarine landslide that created a tsunami, killing more than 400 people in the Celebes.
References
- [1] Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. « Indonesia Volcano Eruption: Mount Sinabung Spews Huge Ash Cloud | DW | 10.08.2020 ». DW.COM. Consulté le 8 décembre 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/indonesia-volcano-eruption-sinabung/a-54507450.
- [2] Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. « Indonesia: Thousands Evacuated as Volcano Erupts | DW | 30.11.2020 ». DW.COM. Consulté le 8 décembre 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/indonesia-thousands-evacuated-as-volcano-erupts/a-55767191.
- [3] « Indonesian Volcano Erupts, Forcing Residents to Flee ». Consulté le 8 décembre 2020. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/29/indonesian-volcano-erupts-forcing-residents-to-flee.
- [4] France-Presse, Agence. « Indonesian Volcano Mount Ili Lewotolok Erupts, Closing Airport ». the Guardian, 29 novembre 2020. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/29/indonesian-volcano-mount-ili-lewotolok-erupts.
- [5] Geologi, Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana. « MAGMA Indonesia ». MAGMA Indonesia. Consulté le 8 décembre 2020. https://magma.vsi.esdm.go.id/.
- [6] EcoWatch. « Volcano Eruption in Indonesia Forces Thousands to Evacuate », 30 novembre 2020. https://www.ecowatch.com/indonesia-volcano-eruption-2649081507.html.
