Sulawesi, after the earthquake and tsunami, Mount Soputan erupts
The authorities ordered the population to stay more than 4 km away from the crater. In the meantime, the hopes of rescuing the missing in the September 28th disaster are fading. The number of verified victims rises to 1,407. President Widodo again visiting the disaster sites.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Five days after the earthquakes and the tsunami that devastated the cities of Palu and Donggala causing over 1,400 deaths, the eruption of Mount Soputan is alarming the already stricken population of the island of Sulawesi. Located about 600km northeast of Palu, the volcano erupted this morning, releasing a 4,000-meter ash column in the sky.
Fearing the threat of lava and incandescent clouds, the authorities ordered the population to stay more than 4 km away from the crater. The government is monitoring the situation, but at the moment does not consider it necessary to evacuate the surrounding villages. Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado (North Sulawesi) continues to operate.
Meanwhile, hopes of rescuing the missing from the September 28th disaster are fading and survivors are still waiting for the arrival of rescuers in remote areas hit by the earthquake. The number of verified victims rose to 1,407.
For the second time since the beginning of the emergency, President Joko Widodo has returned to the disaster areas today to coordinate relief operations, while incidents of mass looting of food and other goods are increasing. More than 65 thousand homes have been damaged by the earthquake; there are more than 60,000 displaced people and according to UN agencies (200,000 people) urgently need help.
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