The Jakarta Post, July 17, 2007
Maluku volcano cools down, downgraded
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
Thousands of people fleeing from their houses on the slopes of smoldering Mount
Gamkonora on Halmahera Island, North Maluku province, could return home after
authorities downgraded the volcano's top-alert status Monday.
Head of the Volcanology Center and Geology Disaster Mitigation Agency, Surono,
said returning residents still could not get within three kilometers area of the volcano
in Ibu district, West Halmahera regency.
The alert status for the volcano was downgraded starting Monday because it had
shown less volcanic activity.
Since July 10 to July 15, only two small tectonic quakes measuring below 2 of the
Richter scale were recorded in the mountain.
Meanwhile, visual observation saw the volcano did not spit hot lava or other volcanic
materials.
"The number of explosion has also drastically dropped. During the Monday's
explosion, the ash was spewing 4,000 above the crater, while now it is only about 10
meters high," Surono told journalists in Bandung on Monday.
Following the volcano's increased activity last week, which led authorities to put it in
the top alert status, around 10,000 residents in Ibu district fled to safety.
Most of residents were taking shelter in South Ibu and Central Ibu districts.
Surono warned people not to get close to the volcano because small emissions of
smoke could throw materials from the volcano's crater.
The 1,635-meter volcano has erupted 12 times since records have been kept.
The last time ash and smoke streamed out of the volcano was in 1987. No casualties
were reported.
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