Authorities have downgraded the alert level on Indonesia’s Mount Kelud, saying the volcano was showing a decline in activity after weeks of warning that it was on the verge of a major eruption.
The unpredictability of the volcano however means it will remain on the second highest alert level.
Local officials are now allowing residents to return to their homes along the slopes of the mountain in East Java.
The revised status comes two days after experts warned of an imminent eruption as a magma dome formed under Mount Kelud’s crater lake, causing boiling water to spill down its sides.
Soaring temperatures in the lake also damaged monitoring equipment used to gauge activity on the mountain.
Volcano scientists on Thursday said the alert status was lowered after the volcano showed “less intense activity” as it no longer had the energy needed for an explosive eruption.
Umar Rosadi, a member of the monitoring team, however warned that “a sudden increase” in volcanic activity was still possible.
“People must be ready to be evacuated again,” he said.
Mount Kelud was on maximum alert three weeks ago. Tens of thousands of villagers were moved to government shelters outside the danger zone near the 1,731-metre peak, but any had ignored the warnings and stayed home.
The volcano has a deadly history of killing at least 30 people in its most recent eruption in 1990. About 5,000 people died when it erupted in 1919, spewing boiling water from its crater lake.
Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes in the world, sitting on an active seismic belt known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
Source: http://mwcnews.net/
November 9th, 2007
SURABAYA - Masjid Cheng Hoo Surabaya kemarin (7/11) kedatangan tamu istimewa. Tamu berjumlah 16 orang itu datang dari Provinsi Guangdong, RRT (Republik Rakyat Tiongkok). Mereka dipimpin Wu Rui Cheng, kepala Kantor Urusan Luar Negeri Provinsi Guangdong.
Para tamu yang mengendarai tiga minibus tersebut tiba di masjid yang berada di Jalan Gading itu pukul 15.15 dan diterima pengurus Yayasan Haji Muhammad Cheng Hoo Indonesia (YHMCI).
“Rombongan dari Tiongkok sekadar berkunjung dan melihat bangunan Masjid Cheng Hoo. Tidak ada agenda khusus yang dibicarakan antara kami dan pihak Guangdong,” terang Humas Masjid Cheng Hoo Unang Angkawidjaja.
Unang mengatakan, selain bertandang ke masjid yang baru berulang tahun ke-5 itu, rombongan dari Guangdong juga mendatangi Kantor PT Maspion serta Shincung High School, kawasan Mulyosari. Setelah berfoto bersama jajaran pengurus YHMCI dan mengabadikan bangunan masjid berarsitektur Tiongkok itu, rombongan meninggalkan Masjid Cheng Hoo sekitar pukul 15.45.
Meski belum ada agenda khusus yang dibahas, Unang mengatakan, YHMCI berencana melakukan kunjungan balasan ke Tiongkok awal tahun depan. Salah satu kota yang akan mereka singgahi adalah Guangdong. “Kami tahun depan akan terbang ke Tiongkok dengan membawa para kiai dari sini. Tujuannya, mengabarkan perkembangan Islam di Indonesia, sekaligus mengadakan kerja sama budaya,” jelasnya.
Masjid Cheng Hoo kini termasuk tujuan wisata kota yang banyak dikunjungi wisatawan domestik maupun asing. Buktinya, 30 menit sebelum rombongan dari Tiongkok datang, 10 orang rombongan dari Taiwan juga melihat keindahan masjid yang didominasi warna merah keemasan itu.
Bentuknya yang tak lazim merupakan daya tarik tersendiri bagi wisatawan. Selain sebagai tempat tujuan wisata, Masjid Cheng Hoo juga menjadi pusat syiar Islam Pembina Iman Tauhid Islam (PITI) Surabaya. (nar)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
November 9th, 2007