Villagers unfazed by rising activity at Mount Tambora

BIMA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The status of the Mount Tambora volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa has been raised to the second-highest alert status as its activity has been increasing since April, the Jakarta Globe reported on Friday.

Residents who have spent most of their lives living on the slopes of the volcano remain unfazed despite the warnings from authorities and the rumblings they are increasingly feeling from underneath the earth, according to Syaifullah, the head of the Pekat subdistrict which lies on Tambora's hillside.


"The hundreds of families in the villages and hamlets that lay between 5 to 10 kilometers (3 to 6 miles) from the peak have not shown any panic and continue to conduct their daily activity as usual," Syaifullah said.

Mount Tambora, which is responsible for the largest and deadliest volcanic eruption in recorded history, started showing signs of awakening in April. But in early August, it spewed thick white smoke 20 meters (66 feet) into the sky.
So far, Indonesian authorities have not ordered any evacuations and have only warned residents to be on alert. Two villages, Pancasila and Doro Pet, are particularly vulnerable as they are located within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the volcano's peak which has a height of 4,300 meters (14,100 feet), making it the tallest in the Indonesian archipelago.

[link to wireupdate.com]

Last Edited by ^TrInItY^ on 09/03/2011 08:23 AM