Indonesia volcano erupts, forces evacuation
Jakarta, May 11: Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted on Friday spewing 5,500-metre high column of volcanic ash, forcing residents to evacuate.
The volcano situated in the borders of Klaten, Magelang and Boyolali districts erupted at 7.30 a.m., Xinhua news agency quoted national disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho as saying.
Volcanic ash rain has occurred in Tugu Kaliurang and is forecast to persist in the south of the crater, he said.
To prevent the risks especially, the local officials have distributed masks, Sutopo added.
"Local disaster agency has instructed the villagers living in the radius 5 km from the crater to evacuate immediately," he told Xinhua.
A 3 km no-go zone has been declared by the volcanology agency.
Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano and has regularly erupted since 1948.
It is located about 28 km north of Yogyakarta city which has a population of 2.4 million and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano.
Pyrolastic flow from a large explosion killed 27 people on November 1994, and another large eruption occurred in 2006. Mount Merapi is one of Indonesias 129 active volcanoes.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Punjab: Eight killed, many injured in Bathinda bus accident
Bathinda, Dec 27: Eight people died and many were injured on Friday when a private bus crashed through the railing of a bridge here and plunged into a drain a few feet below, police said.
The bus had over 45 passengers and it fell in Lasara drain at Jeewan Singhwala village, officials said.
The accident occurred when the bus was enroute to Bathinda from Talwandi Sabo. Locals rushed to the spot immediately to help the passengers, they said.
Eight people have died in the accident, the police said.
Police and district administration also launched a rescue operation and took the injured to a hospital. A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the spot to provide assistance, they added.
The weather was inclement in the area, the officials said, while adding that exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray, who reached the spot to supervise the rescue operation, said medical teams and ambulances were rushed to the spot.
