Thousands flee as two volcanoes spew pillars of fire and lava

Villagers fled lava in Indonesia while Chile placed tourists on high alert as the ‘Ring of Fire’ awakened after the world’s largest volcano erupted in Hawaii.

As rescuers evacuated villagers near Indonesia’s Mount Semeru, Chile warned tourists around the snow-capped Villarrica volcano to prepare for evacuations.

Dramatic video footage showed pillars of fire belching 220 metres out of a lava lake on top of the popular tourist mountain following a series of earthquakes, seismic events and gas explosions.

The two volcanoes, on opposite sides of the “Ring of Fire”, came to life less than two weeks after the eruption of the world’s largest volcano in Hawaii, which continues to spew molten rock and lava that threatens to roll over one of the Big Island’s largest highways.

The Villarrica volcano shows signs of activity, as seen from Pucon, some 800km south of Santiago. Picture: AFP

Pillars of fire belching 220 metres out of a lava lake on top of the popular tourist mountain Picture: AFP

The Villarrica volcano as seen from Pucon, some 800km south of Santiago. Picture: AFP

The last major eruption of Chile’s Villarrica’s volcano was in 1984, the same year of Mauna Loa’s previous major eruption in Hawaii.

Alvaro Amigo, the head of the National Volcanic Surveillance Network, said that while they cannot predict when Chile’s 2847-metre volcano will erupt, “the conditions are in place”.

The glacier-clad volcano overlooks the city of Pucon, with a population of around 28,000 people who live just 15km from the peak.

The region’s lakes and lush forests are a popular tourist draw and some 10,000 visitors climb Villarrica each summer, according to official figures.

Molten bombs are thrown into the air by the lava fountains at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Picture: AFP

Rivers of molten seen high up on the volcano. Picture: AFP

“The thing about Villarrica is the risk, because many people are living in areas that are highly exposed” to potential damage from the volcano, said geophysicist Cristian Farias.

He warned that residents had forgotten the hazards of “what Villarrica can do.” Amigo said the volcano was dangerous because its eruptions often cause perilous volcanic rock and mud flows “and because it has a large population and infrastructure around it.”

The National Geology and Mining Service issued a yellow alert in four towns close to the peak, the last step before an orange alert requiring an imminent eruption.

THOUSANDS FLEE ERUPTION OF MOUNT SEMERU

Rescuers evacuated more people Monday from nearby villages after the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru, with officials warning of danger from cooling lava despite less activity from the volcano.

More than 2400 villagers have now fled their homes and taken shelter in 11 evacuation centres after the highest mountain on Indonesia’s main island of Java erupted.

“The military, police, local disaster and village officials keep evacuating people in Curah Kobokan where the hot ash cloud and cold lava might travel,” Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, told local television.

Mount Semeru erupts in Indonesia. Picture: AFP

A member of a search and rescue team checks the situation at the Kajar Kuning village in Lumajang. Picture: AFP

A man sits in front of a house inundated by mud following a volcanic eruption by Mount Semeru. Picture: AFP

“So far the total number of evacuees is 2489.”

Officials have announced a state of emergency for the next two weeks and authorities have been distributing free masks to protect against ash in the air while setting up public kitchens for evacuees.

Muhari said visual observation of Semeru indicated less intense volcanic activity but he warned of potential danger from lava flows that had cooled after heavy rain.

“What we worry about is economic activities such as sand mining. We want to make sure the route where the hot ash cloud and the cold lava might travel is completely free of activity,” he said.

The government’s alert status indicating danger from the volcano was raised to its highest level Sunday. It had previously been at its second-highest level since a major eruption last December.

Last year’s eruption killed 51 people and damaged more than 5000 homes while forcing nearly 10,000 people to seek refuge.

- with AFP

Originally published as Thousands flee as two volcanoes spew pillars of fire and lava