Papua New Guinea volcano rumbles on after explosive eruption
Pastor Dale Morgan
Papua New Guinea volcano rumbles on after explosive eruption*
SYDNEY, Oct 8 (AFP) Oct 08, 2006
A volcano in Papua New Guinea erupted for a second day Sunday but the
rumbling peak was calming down and thousands of residents who fled were
expected to return, an official said Sunday.
Ash, steam and lava were still pouring from the Mount Tavurvur volcano
after an "awe-inspiring" eruption on Saturday, said vulcanologist Steve
Sanders of PNG's Volcano Observatory in Rabaul on the island of New Britain.
"There were one or two explosions early this morning," he told AFP in a
telephone interview.
"There are lava flows coming out to west and northeast, steaming where
they are entering the sea."
But the flow of ash was much reduced, with "gentle emissions of steam
and ash billowing out," he said.
"The gas-rich material erupted yesterday and today gas-poor lava is
coming out quietly."
Sanders said shockwaves from the explosions during Saturday's eruption
blew out windows at the observatory about 12 kilometres (seven miles) away.
The shockwaves also rattled and broke windows in the town as a plume of
ash rose some 18 kilometres into the air, sending 2,000 residents
fleeing 12 years after Rabaul was largely destroyed in another eruption.
Sanders said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, and
he expected people to move back home quite soon.
Most people were accustomed to ash emissions, although Saturday's
eruption was the biggest since 1997, he said.
"Yesterday was pretty awe-inspiring because of the blast effect as the
magma reached the surface with big explosions and shockwaves," he said.
But Sanders said he believed major new eruptions were unlikely.
"The lava flows may go on for a few days, and ash emissions for a few
weeks, but it's unlikely to be explosive," he said.
Winds had dispersed much of the ash and it was not more than a
centimetre thick where it had settled in the town.
Hotelier Bruce Alexander had expressed concerns that there would be
looting overnight after people evacuated their homes, but a guest told
AFP by phone Sunday that it had been "very quiet".
"They handled it very well, there was a strong police presence. The dust
has settled and the sun's coming out," said Ray van Zuyden.
In 1994, major eruptions of the 688-metre (2,270-foot) Tavurvur and
nearby Mount Vulcan destroyed much of Rabaul, and while loss of life was
minimal due to a quick evacuation, looters ransacked the town.