Tag: Indonesia

Indonesia volcano eruption leaves 270,000 stranded as airports extend closure

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Active volcano erupting beside tropical rainforest and a dark ocean coastline

Some 270,000 passengers have been left stranded across Indonesia after a volcanic eruption grounded more than 2,000 flights and forced airports to suspend operations for a second day. Anak Krakatau, located 150km (90mi) from Jakarta, began erupting late on Friday, producing lava fountains and sending volcanic ash into the capital and the Lampung province. It stayed seismically active throughout the weekend.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International and three other airports have extended closures till 18:00 local time on Monday after volcanic ash was detected in airspaces near them. Schools in the region moved classes online while some shipping operations were also disrupted. Snaking queues formed at the departure halls in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Monday as stranded passengers sought refunds and tried to get updates on when they would be able to fly. Finna, who was supposed to fly home to Jakarta from Malang, a city in East Java, on Sunday morning, described the frezny at the airport as flights got repeatedly rescheduled.

“It was very crowded because passengers from the morning flights had piled up, while those scheduled for later departures still didn’t know what would happen,” the 46-year-old told BBC Indonesian. “We were all glued to the flight information screens.” Not wanting to deal with the uncertainty, Finna eventually spent the night on two intercity trains before arriving in Jakarta at 03:00 on Monday. “Everyone seems to be racking their brains [figuring alternative transportation options]”, said Jo Shaw, who was visiting Indonesia with members of her conservation charity Save the Rhino International.

Shaw’s team had axed their plans to camp out at Java’s Ujung Kulon National Park after authorities raised its alert level for the Anak Krakatau volcano. “Being stranded in an airport hotel is a relatively minor inconvenience to be resolved in a few days hopefully,” Shaw said, adding that she was more concerned about the teams working on the ground with the rhinos under such environmental conditions. A newly wed Malaysian couple who had just spent a week in Bali said they were told that the next flight back to Kuala Lumpur wouldn’t be until 11 September. “What are we going to do here for another five days?

We only prepared enough money for our honeymoon and [were supposed] to go home yesterday,” Amir Hamzah told Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama. “We thought we would just sleep at the airport for a few hours and then take the morning flight home [on Monday]. We never thought we would end up being stuck here for days,” the 29-year-old said. On Monday, Indonesia’s Geological Agency warned that “the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high”. Volcanic ash reached as high as 6,000m on the Java side of the volcano and 15,000m on the Sumatra side and in some parts of Java’s westernmost province Banten, the meteorological agency BMKG said.

Anak Krakatau sits on the Sunda Strait about midway between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The most recent eruption occurred at 20:23 on Sunday, according to the agency. “We ‌cannot ascertain when this ‌will end due to the dynamic weather,” Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in relation to the temporary closures of the affected airports. Dudy said on Sunday that authorities across the airports have been conducting tests every 30 minutes “to anticipate whether the ash spread is widening or subsiding”. more…

Source: Indonesia volcano eruption leaves 270,000 stranded as airports extend closure

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

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Two powerful earthquakes hit Indonesia in one day, killing at least 38

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A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday killed at least 38 people, a disaster management official said, revising an earlier toll. A second, 6.4-magnitude quake struck the country’s western Sumatra island laterm according to the U.S. Geological Survey. “Thirty-eight people have been confirmed dead, two were seriously injured, 11 sustained minor injuries, and approximately 2,000 people have evacuated on their own,” National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto told a news conference, referring to the first earthquake. Authorities issued a tsunami warning and urged coastal residents to move to higher ground, but later lifted the warning when Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would pose a threat to coastal communities.

The U.S Geological Survey said the quake hit Indonesia’s Flores region at 5:58 a.m. local time. Its epicenter was 42 miles north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. The initial quake was followed by several aftershocks. The head of the Maumere Search and Rescue Agency, Fathur Rahman, said rescuers have recovered at least 20 bodies in the three devastated regencies of Sikka, West Manggarai, and East Manggarai, including eight bodies that were pulled from a landslide in the village of Reok in Manggarai. Six people were rushed to nearby hospitals with severe injuries. He said rescuers were still searching for two villagers believed to be buried under tons of mud that tumbled down from the surrounding hills in a landslide triggered by the quake. East Nusa Tenggara Police Chief Rudi Darmoko said the earthquake caused severe damage and collapsed buildings. He said power outages in cities and villages have hampered the flow of information and complicated search and rescue efforts.

“We are continuing to collect reports of damage and casualties, but there are communication disruptions,” Darmoko said. He said that landslides in Ende regency triggered by the earthquake also cut off the Trans-Flores highway, a roughly 435-mile paved mountain road spanning Flores Island, from Labuan Bajo to Larantuka.   Footage on local television showed patients at several hospitals being evacuated from buildings as a precaution following the quake. Hospital staff moved equipment outdoors, including beds, IV stands and oxygen cylinders, and set up temporary treatment areas to adapt to emergency conditions. The National Disaster Management Agency deployed a helicopter to assist with logistics and support emergency response operations, including possible evacuations if needed, the agency said in a statement.

The air support is considered crucial given East Nusa Tenggara’s geography, which consists of numerous islands and presents significant transportation and access challenges. It said about 2,000 villagers in Nagekeo regency fled their homes to temporary shelters.

Source: Two powerful earthquakes hit Indonesia in one day, killing at least 38 – CBS News

A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows.
Proverbs 18:6

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Volcano erupts in Indonesia, killing at least 3 hikers in an off-limits area, police say

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close up shot of an erupting volcano

Three hikers — two Singaporeans and a local — who were in an off-limits area died Friday in an eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono volcano, officials said. Several others were missing. The eruption on Halmahera island sent an ash cloud about 6 miles into the air, but no towns or villages were close enough to face any immediate threat. Twenty hikers were on the slopes when disaster struck, North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu told reporters at a volcano monitoring station in Mamuya village. Nine were from Singapore and the rest were Indonesian, he said.”To date, 15 climbers have safely descended,” Erlichson said several hours after the early-morning eruption.

The bodies of the deceased were still on the mountain, he added, without elaborating on the whereabouts of the other two hikers.

“Due to ongoing eruptions, the situation is still considered unsafe for evacuation. So, the joint team is still waiting for the right time to begin the search,” Erlichson said.

Some of the hikers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The group’s guide and a porter were taken to the police station and could face criminal charges for taking hikers into a prohibited area, the police chief added.

Source: Volcano erupts in Indonesia, killing at least 3 hikers in an off-limits area, police say – CBS News

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7

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Powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia’s Molucca Sea kills 1 person, sets off small tsunami

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motorcyclist on wet road in lush indonesian landscape

An undersea magnitude -7.4 earthquake toppled buildings in parts of northern Indonesia, sent people fleeing from their homes, killed at least one person and generated a small tsunami Thursday. Waves up to 30 inches above normal tides were recorded at several monitoring stations about a half-hour after the earthquake, which was centered in the Molucca Sea. Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no destructive threat to the country, which is north of the quake’s epicenter.

Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung in North Sulawesi province as well as in Ternate city in neighboring North Maluku province, according to Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency. Initial assessments showed light to severe damage in parts of Ternate, including a church and two houses. In Bitung, damage assessments were still underway, the agency said. Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency reported a 70-year-old woman died in a building collapse in North Sulawesi’s Manado city and another resident was injured. At least three injured people were hospitalized in Ternate.

Source: Powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia’s Molucca Sea kills 1 person, sets off small tsunami – CBS News

But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:5-6

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