Mount Kelud Volcano Erupts in Indonesia; 4 Dead As Clean-Up Begins

February 15,2014

 

 

 

Towns surrounding Mount Kelud in Indonesia are cleaning up after the eruption of the 5,680 foot high volcano sent a plume of ash up to 360 miles across Indonesia's Java island.
Four people, including a 97-year-old woman were killed when their roofs collapsed from the weight of accumulating ash, reports The Associated Press.
Ash and debris shot 12 miles into the air during the Friday eruption, which forced 100,000 people to evacuate, according to an Associated Press report. Indonesia's disaster agency said the blast could be heard from 125 miles away.
(MORE: Another Indonesian Volcano Erupted Earlier This Month)
"The eruption sounded like thousands of bombs exploding," Ratno Pramono, a 35-year-old farmer, told the AP as he checked his property in the village of Sugihwaras, about 3 miles from the crater. "I thought doomsday was upon us. Women and children were screaming and crying."
Mount Kelud is located 85 miles south of Surabaya, the second-biggest city in Indonesia and a major industrial center, says the Guardian. Several airports had to be closed due to the ash cloud, the report also said.
Though volcanic activity calmed on Saturday, authorites warned that secondary effects, such as landslides, could threaten surrounding towns and villages.
As a result, the Indonesian army banned people from returning to towns and villages within six miles of the volcano.

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A woman gestures during the evacuation in Malang, East Java province, on February 14, 2014 moments after Mount Kelud eruption. (AMAN ROCHMAN/AFP/Getty Images)