About 3 hours ago, this local volcano erupted 4 times. It is less than a 3 hour drive from our home. The city we visited last week is now experiencing ash fall and ash rain. So far I have heard of no casualties, but information is still being gathered.
Known as Mount Merapi, this mountain has erupted at least 100 times since history began, so volcanologists say. Yesterday, we started hearing rumors that it was expected to erupt, and we looked on the internet to find the rumors were true! Nobody in our town seemed very excited about it, since it was predicted to erupt in the opposite direction from us, to the south. So we didn't get very excited either. It last erupted a few years ago, so this is nothing new.
The government attempted to evacuate 40,000 people from the immediate area of the volcano, however not all complied. Many stayed behind to take care of their animals and fields.
In other news, there was a tsunami in the western part of the country today, far from us. It was the same fault that caused the tragic tsunami in 2004. So far, 110 people are known dead with many more missing. Rescuers are traveling even now to a group of islands 12 hours out from the mainland, to see how the people fared with the waves. Please pray for those who have lost loved ones, and those who have no hope because of this disaster.
No comments:
Post a Comment