Indonesian volcano spews tall column of Smoke and Ash
Pastor Dale Morgan
Indonesian volcano spews tall column of Smoke and Ash*
JAKARTA, July 9 (AFP) Jul 09, 2007
An Indonesian volcano on the northeastern island of Halmahera on Monday
suddenly spewed a tall column of smoke and ash but there were no
immediate reports of damage or casualties, police said.
Mount Gamkonora, about 2,700 kilometres (1,600 miles) northeast of the
capital Jakarta, was placed on a level three alert, one level below the
top warning which signals an imminent eruption.
"Reports we have received say that the smoke trail goes as high as 700
metres (yards) but our personnel are leaving for the area to check on
the situation there," said a policeman on duty at Jailolo, a town 35
kilometres from the volcano.
"The reports did not say whether there was any damage or victims," the
officer told AFP.
Indonesia's vulcanology office said on its website that the level of
warning was upgraded at 0100 GMT Monday following increasing signs of
activity at the 1,635-metre (5,461-foot) volcano.
A team of vulcanologists was in the area to assess the activities, it added.
Indonesia sits on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", where
continental plates meet, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
The archipelago nation has the world's highest number of active volcanoes.