Three Dead after MT Kelud's Eruption

Kediri, E Java (Antara) - Three people have reportedly died in the Sugihwaras Village, Kediri, East Java, located seven kilometers from the Mount Kelud crater, according to information revealed by the Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). On Friday, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a BNPB spokesperson noted here that based on verification data, three died and 76,388 people had been evacuated after Mount Kelud erupted on Thursday night, (Feb. 13). The three victims were identified as Mbok Nya (60), who died due to the ill-effects of the volcanic ash, Sahiri (70) who died after being fatally hit by a wall while awaiting an evacuation car, and Sanusi (80) who died due to the volcanic ash, while seeking refuge under a table. "The thickness of the volcanic ash in the Sugihwaras village reached 20 centimeters," Sutopo reported. As of Friday night, Sutopo added that the BNPB and local officers still continue to evacuate people living in the 10-kilometer radius of the Mount Kelud crater. According to the latest data on the evacuation status, 76,388 people had been evacuated from five districts, which comprised 66,139 people from the Kediri District, 3,220 people from Batu City, 2,070 people from the Blitar District, 3,610 people from the Malang District, and 1,349 people from the Tulungagung District. The Mount Kelud eruption spewed up to 80 cubic meters of volcanic material, such as ash and sand. Until Friday night, the BNPB reported tremors and gust of ash still happening around the Mount Kelud area, hence the alert status is still enforced. East Java Governor Soekarwo stated the emergency status will be in effect between February 13 and March 12, 2014, and the authorities had provided 350 thousand masks to the residents. Because of the volcanic ash, schools in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Wonosobo, and Blitar have been forced to shut down. The volcanic ash that enveloped Surabaya may prove hazardous to health, Surabaya education service head M. Ikshan noted on Friday. All schools in Surabaya are closed and students are advised to stay indoors, he added. In Wonosobo, Central Java, Wonosobo District Head Kholiq Arief also ordered the closure of schools as the district was blanketed by volcanic ash. Besides this, the Indonesian transportation ministry announced three international airports: Djuanda in Surabaya (East Java), Adi Sucipto in Yogyakarta, and Adi Soemarmo in Solo (Central Java), were closed on Friday, due to the volcanic ash rain. (*)