Volcano Eruption in Indonesia Believed to Be Imminent

According to a story issued by the United Nations News Centre on Thursday, the eruption of Mount Kelud volcano in eastern Java, Indonesia, is "believed to be imminent."

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is closely watching the situation. OCHA is ensuring that medical professionals are available, health facilities are ready, and equipment, including emergency kits and masks, is in place.

According to the UN story, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 116,000 people who have been living within 10 kilometers of the volcano have already been evacuated, although "some people" in "relatively low-risk areas" have been allowed to return home when the volcanic activity slowed down.

Other sources, though, put a different spin on the effectiveness of the evacuation. The BBC, for example, writes in its headline "Volcano warning ignored in Java," and reports that many residents living near the volcano have refused to move. In one village, officials reportedly knocked on every single door, urging people to leave, but nobody did.

According to Wikipedia, Mount Kelud (also known as Mount Kelut) erupted in 1919, killing about 5,000 people, and erupted again in 1951, 1966, and 1990. The last three eruptions together killed about 250 people.

Sources

Indonesia: UN prepares emergency response to expected volcanic eruption, UN News Centre, October 18, 2007

Volcano warning ignored in Java, BBC, October 18, 2007

Wikipedia: Kelut