Volcano erupts in southern Colombia

M

Martin

Deceased
Volcano erupts in southern Colombia
By The Associated Press
BOGOTA - Authorities ordered the evacuation of several small towns near the volcano Nevado del Huila, southwest of Bogota, after a brief eruption on Thursday night that forced the declaration of a red alert.

"At 09:45 pm local time there was an eruptive event at the volcano Nevado del Huila," the Geological and Mining Institute of Colombia said in a statement released on its website.

The red alert is classified as a process of eruption imminent or in progress.

The volcano is located 285 kilometers (177 miles) southwest of Bogota and is surrounded five people, whose evacuation was ordered by the authorities.

Nine people were injured by an avalanche on the Paez river which runs through three towns near the mountain, said the mayor of La Plata, Adolfo Leon Ubajoa, in statements to RCN telenoticiario. Those three sites are Paicol, La Plata and Belalcázar.

The injured were taken to a hospital in La Plata.

The inhabitants of the region recently conducted evacuation drills in order to avoid bigger problems in case of an eruption. The authorities have prepared shelters in safe areas for those evicted.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/781485.html
 
G

gdpetti

Inactive
Page last updated at 04:38 GMT, Sunday, 23 November 2008
Colombia volcano claims 10 lives


At least 10 people died after a volcano erupted in a remote region of southern Colombia, the government has confirmed.

Interior minister Fabio Valencia said the eruption of Nevado del Huila triggered two avalanches on Thursday.

About 12,000 people living in the area, some 240km (150 miles) south of Bogota, have been evacuated.

Mr Valencia said rescuers had not been able to reach the less accessible parts of Nevado del Huila, and the number of casualties could rise.

President Alvaro Uribe flew with emergency officials over the volcano to see the results of the eruption for himself.

He met civil defence officials and ordered the air force to supply isolated communities along the Paez River.

People missing

Officials have reported seven people still missing.

At 5,364m (17,700ft), Nevado del Huila is among the highest peaks in the Andean Central Cordillera, a region that is home to mainly indigenous communities.

A combination of heavy rains and the high altitude is making it difficult for rescue services, including helicopters, to reach the area.

Some roads have been blocked by snow and ice, bridges have been destroyed and there have been mudslides on the lower slopes.

The volcano became active again in 2007 after lying dormant for more than 500 years.

It last erupted on 14 April, forcing about 3,500 people to flee their homes.

In 1985 an eruption of the nearby Nevado del Ruiz volcano triggered mudslides that killed 25,000 people in Colombia's worst ever natural disaster.
Click to expand...
fair use http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7744324.stm

FWIW. another large - 6.8EQ - in Indonesia... undersea type.. no damage... how much longer before that whole area goes? maybe same timeframe as everywhere else?
 
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