In this
page, we can know dangers tourism in Indonesia.
The repeat history about killed people caused beautiful scenery but make
tragedy. That tragedy is mount eruptions. The 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi began in late October 2010 when Mount Merapi in Central Java,
Indonesia began an increasingly violent series of eruptions that continued into
November. Seismic activity around the volcano increased from mid-September onwards,
culminating in repeated outbursts lava and ashes.
Large eruption columns formed, causing numerouspyroclastic flows down the heavily populated slopes of the volcano. Merapi's eruption was said by authorities to be the largest since the 1870s.
Large eruption columns formed, causing numerouspyroclastic flows down the heavily populated slopes of the volcano. Merapi's eruption was said by authorities to be the largest since the 1870s.
Over 350,000
people were evacuated from the affected area. However, many remained behind or
returned to their homes while the eruptions were continuing. 353 people were
killed during the eruptions, many
as a result of pyroclastic flows. The
ash plumes from the volcano also caused major disruption to aviation across
Java.
The mountain continued to erupt until 30
November 2010. On 3 December 2010 the official alert status was reduced to
level 3, from level 4, as the eruptive activity had subsided.
Recent background
In late October 2010 the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Geological Agency (CVGHM), (Pusat Vulkanologi & Mitigasi Bencana Geologi, Badan Geologi-PVMBG), reported that a pattern of increasing seismicity from Merapi had begun to emerge in early September. Observers at Babadan 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west and Kaliurang 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the mountain reported hearing an avalanche on 12 September 2010. On 13 September 2010 white plumes were observed rising 800 metres (2,600 ft) above the crater. Lava dome inflation, detected since March, increased from background levels of 0.1 millimetres (0.0039 in) to 0.3 millimetres (0.012 in) per day to a rate of 11 millimetres (0.43 in) per day on 16 September. On 19 September 2010 earthquakes continued to be numerous, and the next day CVGHM raised the Alert Level to 2 (on a scale of 1–4). Lava from Mount Merapi began flowing down the Gendol River on 23–24 October signalling the likelihood of an imminent eruption.
On 25 October 2010 the Indonesian government raised the alert for Mount Merapi to its highest level (4) and warned villagers in threatened areas to move to safer ground. People living within a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) zone were told to evacuate. The evacuation orders affected at least 19,000 people however the number that complied at the time remained unclear to authorities. Officials said about 500volcanic earthquakes had been recorded on the mountain over the weekend of 23–24 October, and that the magma had risen to about a 1 kilometre (3,300 ft) below the surface due to the seismic activity.
Chronology
of eruptive events
Monday,
25 October
Merapi erupted three
times on Monday afternoon spewing lava down its southern and south-eastern
slopes. Three major eruptions were recorded at 14:04, 14:24 and 15:15 local
time. On this day, 222 volcanic seismic events and 454 avalanche seismic events
were recorded by Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation monitoring
staff at Merapi.
Tuesday,
26 October
The
eruptions on Tuesday started at 17:02. By 18:54 pyroclastic
activity had begun to
subside following 12 eruption-associated events being recorded by CVGHM
monitors. 232 volcanic seismic events, 269 avalanche seismic events, 4 lava
flow seismic events and 6 heat clouds were recorded in the 24 hours of 26
October. The eruptive events were classified as explosive events with volcanic bursts of ejected
material, visible flame and pyroclastic hot air flows. A column of smoke rose from the top to a
vertical distance of 1.5 kilometres (4,900 ft) from the summit of Mount Merapi. The first
fatalities occurred on this day.
Friday,
29 October
On Friday
eruptive activity included lava ejection with hot ash clouds reported
to be flowing 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) down the slopes of the mountain and
lasting four to nine minutes. Ash falls reached as far as the Central Java town
of Magelang.
Scientists monitoring the volcano including Surono, chief of the Volcanology and Geological
Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), expressed optimism that the volcanic
activity should decrease following the release of lava. Safari Dwiyono, a
scientist monitoring Mt. Merapi for 15 years, said the volcanic activity
appeared to be easing pressure behind a lava dome that had formed in the
crater. The International Red Cross reported that On 29 October, from 07:23 to
21:40, pyroclastic flow from Merapi
struck Lamat River, Senowo River, and Krasak River.
Saturday,
30 October
By early on
the morning of Saturday 30 October the volcano was erupting again. Sri Sumarti,
head of the Merapi section at the Volcano Investigation and Technology
Development Institution (BPPTK), reported the eruptions were louder and
stronger than those of 26 October. Ash from the eruptions on 30 October fell
more than 30 kilometres (19 mi) away and now included ash falls upon the
city of Yogyakarta.
Soldiers and police posted nearest the volcano were seen fleeing along with
hundreds of residents who quickly clogged roads with cars and motorcycles.
Black soot fell across a vast area. The morning eruptions lasted for 22 minutes
while heat clouds flowed into the Krasak and Boyong Rivers and rose 3.5
kilometres (11,000 ft) into the air, drifting westward toward Magelang.
Yogyakarta’s Adisucipto Airport was closed temporarily between 05:00
to 07:00. Later that day, Subandrio, head of the BPPTK suggested there would be
further eruptions as magma continued to push its way up into the volcano's lava
dome. A pyroclastic river flowed from Merapi again on 30 October 2010 at 00:35.
A pyroclastic flow headed toward Gendol River, Kuning River, Krasak River, and
Boyong River. This was then followed by an explosion from Merapi resulting in a
two kilometer vertical high fire ball rising from the top of the mountain .
This eruption caused raining sand to fall on areas to a radius of up to 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) from the volcano. Amongst
activities from government and NGO's the Indonesian Red Cross and Red Crescent (PMI) had by this time fielded up to
398 volunteers from branches in the provinces of Central Java, and Yogyakarta.
These volunteers assisted in disseminating information to communities to warn
of Merapi’s level IV volcanic activity. PMI also provided meals for 1,000
displaced people in the Dompol camp. One
of these PMI volunteers, Tutur Priyanto had died on the slopes on 26 October.
Monday,
1 November
Tuesday,
2 November
On 2 November
several airlines including Garuda, AirAsia and Silkair with international flights to both
Yogyakarta and Solo were either suspended or re-routed due to the eruptive
activity. CVGHM reported 26 pyroclastic flows on 2 November.
Wednesday,
3 November
On 3
November heat clouds travelled up to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away from the
eruption, forcing the government to evacuate people from within the refugee
camps set up earlier to accommodate those already dislocated by the volcano. A
mid-day report from CVGHM on 3 November stated that 38 pyroclastic flows
occurred during the first 12 hours of the day. An observer from the Kaliurang
post saw 19 of those 38 flows travel 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south. Plumes
from the pyroclastic flows rose 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi), although dense
fog made visual observations difficult. Ashfall was noted in some nearby areas.
Eruptions in
the afternoon followed a morning eruption that sent hot gas clouds down the
volcano's slopes. The volcano spewed clouds of ash and gas 5 kilometres
(16,000 ft) into the sky for more than an hour. Wednesday's eruptions were
reported to be the largest since the eruptions commenced. Surono announced that he was moving
the shelters further from the summit. Speaking on Indonesia's Metro TVnetwork
he said, "this is the first time that the eruption has continued for more
than an hour, so I decided to move the shelters to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi)
away from the summit". The shelters had previously been set up 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) away. Surono added that the energy from the eruption
on 3 November was three times greater than that of the first eruption in the
previous week. Bambang Ervan, a spokesman from the Transportation Ministry,
said an official warning had been issued to all airlines to “use alternative
routes for safety reasons due to the volcanic ash.”
Thursday,
4 November
Heavy rain
during the night of 3–4 November triggered lahars with mixtures of water and rock debris
cascading down the Kuning, Gendol, Woro, Boyong, Krasak and Opak rivers on the slopes of the volcano. A bridge
was destroyed and riverbanks damaged. The eruption at 05:55 was reported as
being five times stronger than the initial eruption on 26 October 2010. On 4
November Merapi had been erupting for 24 hours without stopping. Heat clouds of
600 to 800 °C (1,112 to 1,472 °F) spread as far as 11.5 kilometres
(7.1 mi) from the crater reaching toward the edge of the then 15
kilometres (9.3 mi) exclusion zone, and lava flowed into the mountain’s
rivers. Herry Bakti Gumay, Director General
of air transportation, stated on 4 November that the warning
released to all airlines operating flights into Yogyakarta would not be
withdrawn until conditions returned to normal.
Friday,
5 November
Merapi
erupted strongly early Friday morning. Volcanic ash fell at Cangkringan district and its surroundings 10
kilometres (6.2 mi) from the crater. Due to continuous large eruptions,
the BNPB extended the safety zone to a radius of 20 kilometres (12 mi) and
Yogyakarta's airport was closed again for 3 hours in the morning. Residents who
were within 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) of the summit were asked to leave and
seek a safer place. Volcanologists reported the eruptions on Friday 5 November
to be the biggest since the 1870s and officials announced by loudspeaker that
the mountain's danger zone had been expanded to 20 kilometres (12 mi) from
the crater. Bronggang, a village 15 kilometres
(9.3 mi) from the crater saw its streets blanketed by ash up to 30
centimetres (12 in) deep. By this point, more than 100,000 people had been
evacuated and the scientists monitoring the events were withdrawn from their
posts to a safer distance. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Volcanic Ash
Advisory Center (VAAC) issued an ongoing code red Aviation Volcanic Ash
Advisory and reported MTSAT-2 satellite image-derived information indicating a
volcanic ash plume to (55,000 feet (17,000 m) - FL550), extending 190
nautical miles (352 kilometres (219 mi)) to the west and southwest of the
mountain.
Saturday,
6 November
Sunday,
7 November
On Saturday,
7 November Indonesias' President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened a limited cabinet meeting at
the Presidential Palace, the Great House of Yogyakarta, to address the
emergency response to the eruptions of
Mount Merapi. At the meeting he reaffirmed his support of the Badan
Koordinasi Nasional Penanganan Bencana- (Indonesian Disaster Management Office)
and their administration and control of the disaster response. At 03:02 hot ash
clouds flowed in the direction of the Gendol and Woro rivers. Volcanic
earthquake and hot ash cloud events were reported to have increased from the
previous day. The JakartaGlobe
reported that Merapi continued to belch out deadly pyroclastic flows and clouds
of superheated ash and gases. At least 135 people had died on its slopes over
the previous two weeks, and authorities were still struggling on Sunday to help
those injured from Friday’s massive eruption. Police stationed on the slopes
complained that they were having considerable difficulties stopping people
entering the exclusion zone and putting their lives at risk on the mountains
slopes.
Monday,
8 November
Department
of Air Transport’s Director General Herry Bakti announced on 8 November that
flights in and out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta had
returned to normal. Government vulcanologist Surono said gas and ash soared 4
kilometres (13,000 ft) into the air on Monday as the volcano continued to
erupt, "Merapi hasn’t stopped erupting since 3 November. It’s been
fluctuating but tends to be in the high intensity range."
Tuesday,
9 November
The eruption
that began on Friday continued for another day with less intensity as more
bodies were retrieved from villages destroyed by pyroclastic flows.
On 9
November BNPB announced that they considered the eruptive activities of 2010 to
have exceeded the activities of the mountains eruption in 1872. Based on
historical records, the eruption of Merapi in 1872 was recorded for 120 hours,
while the eruption of 2010 had already presented five days of relentless
activity since Thursday 4 November and up until 8 November had erupted for more
than 120 hours or more without pause. Subandriyo, head of the Volcano
Investigation and Technology Development Institution (Balai Penyelidikan dan
Pengembangan Teknologi Kegunungapian) (BPPTK)
in Yogyakarta revealed that hot ash clouds during the eruptions of 138 years
ago had a maximum reach of only 11–12 kilometres (36,000–39,000 ft),
whilst the current eruptions were reaching 14.5 kilometres (48,000 ft).
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) Geological
Agency, head officer, Dr Surono announced on 9 November that during the hours
of 06:00 to 12:00 eruptive events were continuing with sequential volcanic
earthquakes, tremors, avalanches fast moving clouds were still travelling as
far as 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) toward the southwest. Yogyakarta residents
and evacuees were reminded that the threat of pyroclastic ash clouds and lahar
floods remained. The people of Yogyakarta were also reminded to observe the
instructions to remain outside a radius of 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the peak
of Merapi.
On 9
November a 5.6 magnitude earthquake was felt in Yogyakarta. Reports by the
Bureau of Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), detailed the tectonic
earthquake as measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale (SR) at 14:03:27. The epicenter was
125 kilometres (78 mi) south-west of Bantul,
precisely at 8.98 south latitude coordinates (LS) and 110.08 east longitude
(BT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). The quake's epicenter was at sea and
had no tsunami potential. This type of tectonic earthquake was not sourced from
the volcanic activity of Mount Merapi. On
the night of 9 November there was a burst of ash reaching up to 1.8 kilometres
(5,900 ft) vertically.
Wednesday
10 November
On 10
November 2010 the eruptive intensity was noticed to subside with ongoing but
with the volcano's activity still high and still emitting heat clouds. The
exclusion zone was maintained at 20 kilometres (12 mi)
Thursday
11 November
Based on the
results of instrumental and visual monitoring by CVGHM (PVMBG), on 11 November
activity at Mount Merapi was found to remain high with ash falls and heat
clouds extending to 3 km. Under these conditions, the volcanic activity
status remained at a dangerous level (level 4), with an ongoing danger from hot
air clouds and lava. In the reports of by CVGHM (PVMBG), on 11 November the
eruptive activities were noted to be continuing but at a level of decreased
intensity. Seventeen avalanches were recorded with one hot ash eruption and one
volcanic earthquake. The volcano remained a level 4 alert with a recommendation
of a "Caution" level being adopted. Refugees were to remain at a
distance of greater than 20 km.
Wednesday
17 November[
Reports by
CVGHM (PVMPG) of eruptive activity including hot air clouds, smoke
columns, avalanches and volcanic earthquakes continued throughout 16, 17 and 18
November . White and grey smoke was reported emerging from Merapi with smoke
columns rising to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Smoke emissions continued to
drift south and southwest of the mountain. Based on monitoring and assessment
by CVGHM (PVMPG) the activity Mount Merapi was still considered to be
remain at a high level on 18 November. The activity status of the volcano
remained at Caution level (Level 4). The threat of immediate danger of eruption
continued to be attributed to hot air and ash clouds (awanpanas) with
indirect threats attributed to lava ejections.
Late
November
In late
November Mount Merapi still remained on alert due to threats in the form of hot
clouds and lava. Eruptions were still being reported by PVMPG on 26 November
but occurring with decreased intensity to those earlier in the month. The PVMPG
still set conditions on the status of Merapi at CAUTION (Level 4). The
immediate danger from Mount Merapi continued to be from hot ash clouds
eruptions and indirect threats in the form of lava and lahar. The recommended
exclusion zones remained at between 5 and 20 km.
The mountain
was still erupting on 30 November 2010 and the official alert status remained
at level 4.[3]
December
On Friday 3
December 2010 the head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Dr.
Syamsul Maarif, M. Si, accompanied by the head of the Centre for Volcanology
and Geological Hazard Mitigation CVGHM (PVMBG), Dr. Surono made a joint press
release at the BNPB Command Post in Yogyakarta. As of 3 December 2010, at
09:00, the CVGHM (PVMBG) lowered the status of Mount Merapi to the level of Caution Alert (Level III). They clarified that with
this alert level the potential of hot ash clouds and projected incandescent
material remained. The Geological Agency provided several recommendations
including that there would be no community activities in the disaster prone
areas and proclaimed an ongoing exclusion zone of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi)
radius.
Lava
dome deformation
At the end
of September 2010, the peak inflation rate of the lava dome at Mount Merapi was
measured by EDM at an average growth rate of 6 millimetres (0.24 in). The
subsequent rate of inflation up until 21 October 2010 reached 105 millimetres
(4.1 in) per day. The inflation rate then increased very sharply, reaching
420 millimetres (17 in) per day by 24 October 2010. By 25 October the average grow rate,
measured from 6 EDM points over 24–25 October had risen to 500 millimetres
(20 in) per day.
The
information gathered at the site indicated that the distension of the
mountain's slopes was much more rapid this during the current event than that
observed during the 2006 event.
On 26
October the head of the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard
Mitigation, Surono, repeated his earlier statements that the greatest concern
was the pressure building behind a massive lava dome that has formed near the
tip of the crater. "The energy is building up. ... We hope it will release
slowly," he said. "Otherwise we're looking at a potentially huge
eruption, bigger than anything we've seen in years".Surono also said that
said the distension of the mountain’s slopes was much more rapid this time
around, indicating a higher-pressure build-up of gas and hence a much more
explosive eruption and speculated that Merapi may erupt explosively, as it did
in 1930, and not just eject gas as in 2006 eruptions.
By 5
November, following a week of ongoing explosive eruptions, experts monitoring
Merapi were reported as being "baffled" as, despite earlier
predictions that the eruptions following the initial blast in the prior week
would ease pressure building up behind a magma dome, instead the eruptions
intensified. An estimated 50 million cubic meters of volcanic material had
been released by 5 November. "It was the biggest in at least a
century," said Gede Swantika, a state volcanologist, commenting on the
eruptions of 5 November as plumes of smoke rose up more than 10,000 metres
(33,000 ft).
On 17
November Dr Surono, head of the Volcanology and Geological
Disaster Management Agency CVGHM (PVMBG) reported that Merapi was still spewing
ash and rock. “Most of the initial eruptions threw the ash south toward Sleman
in Yogyakarta, but now it’s blowing west toward Magelang in Central Java,”
Surono said. The later eruptions had not been as powerful because of the
formation of three new lava vents in addition to the main one in the crater.
This helped lessen the intensity of the eruptions. “If you look at the
mountain’s peak at night, you’ll notice three small glowing points,” Surono
said. “That’s actually a good sign because it means the volcano is releasing
all its pent-up energy more quickly.”
Casualties
On 26
October at least 18 people, including a two-month-old baby, were found dead due
to burns and respiratory failure caused by hot ashes from the eruption.
Thousands were evacuated within a radius of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) around
the slopes of the volcano.[
By Wednesday
27 October the death toll had risen to at least 25. The death toll included an
elder, Mbah Maridjan (grandfather Marijan), known as the
volcano's spiritual gatekeeper, who was found dead at his home approximately 4
kilometres (2.5 mi) from the peak. TheYogyakarta Kraton subsequently confirmed his death. The
10 kilometres (6.2 mi) exclusion zone remained in place at the volcano
with evacuation and ongoing search and rescue activities continuing at the site
in an attempt to locate further victims of the previous day's eruptions.
Later
reports revised the toll upward to 30 persons recorded at Yogyakarta's Dr.
Sardjito Hospital with 17 hospitalized, mostly with burns, respiratory problems
and other injuries. Earlier on 27 October two of the 28 bodies at the hospital
had been identified. Yuniawan Nugroho, an editor with the vivanews.com news
portal, was reported to have been killed while conducting reportage on the
night of Tuesday 26 October, the other was later identified as Indonesian Tutur
Priyanto, a 36 year man working for the Red Cross as a volunteer on the mountain. Tutur
Priyanto had been retrieving and escorting residents from the slopes of the
mountain. After making many trips he returned for a further ascent at 15:00 to
assist others to come off the mountain and died during one of the subsequent
eruptive events. The Indonesian
National Disaster Mitigation Agency stated at 10:00 on morning of 1 November
that 38 people had been killed and 69,533 evacuated since Merapi began erupting
on 26 October. The victims came from the district of Sleman, Yogyakarta, where
37 people (including 25 men and 12 women), and 1 baby died. Indonesia's
vulcanology agency warned that flights around Yogyakarta may be disrupted.
By the
afternoon of 5 November the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency was
reporting 122 deaths attributable to the Merapi
eruptions, primarily residents from Sleman, Daerah Istimewa, Yogyakarta. In the report made at 15:00 the
additional victims who died on 5 November contributed as many as 64 people to
the total, also mainly residents of Sleman, Yogyakarta (DIY). They died due to
exposure to heat clouds from Mount
Merapi on Friday at 01:00 in the morning. An additional 151 people were
reported as injured and admitted to four Yogyakarta hospitals. Dr Sardjito
hospital had 78 people, Bethesda Hospital had 6 people, Suradji Hospital 35
people, Tirtonegoro 7 people and Sleman Hospital Panti Rapih 25 people. Most of
the victims died in heat clouds at approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi)
from the summit. Bronggang, 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) from the crater, had
been designated as a safe zone. Soldiers joined the rescue operations there,
pulling at least 78 bodies from homes and streets blanketed by ash 30
centimetres (12 in) deep. People there had been killed when hot ash clouds
from the crater had travelled down the mountain in pyroclastic flows at speeds
of up to 100 kilometres (62 mi) per hour and engulfed their village. Injured were removed on stretchers
many with clothes, blankets and mattresses fused to their skin by the heat. Many of those killed on 5 November
were children from Argomulyo village, 18 kilometres (11 mi) from the
crater, according to emergency response officials and witnesses. On 5 November
full emergency response operations were announced under the single command of
Syamsul Muarif, the head of the Indonesian National Agency for Disaster
Management (BNPB) in co-operation with the Governor of Yogyakarta, the Governor
of Central Java, the Commander of Diponegoro, IV, Central Java Military Region,
Central Java police chief and police chief (Polda-National Police-DIY) of
Yogyakarta.
On the
morning of 6 November BNPB provided a victim report. At that time there were
198,488 refugees, 218 people were injured, and 114 people had been recorded as
having died. All the victims came from the districts of Sleman, Magelang, Klaten
and Boyolaliin
The Jakarta Globe
reported on 8 November that that at least 135 people had died on Merapi's
slopes over the previous two weeks, and that authorities were still struggling
on Sunday to help those injured from Friday’s massive eruption. The bodies of four members of the
Indonesian Disaster Response Team were found on the slopes of Mount Merapi on
Monday, 8 November. A Search and Rescue (SAR)
team discovered the bodies at 06:00 at the Glagaharjo barracks. The building
itself had been destroyed by a volcanic mudflow according to the returning
retrieval party. The team reported recovering four bodies and seeing one
further. Another body in Banjarsari hamlet was found by an Army Special Forces(Kopassus)
team. However rescue officials had to retreat as eruptive activity made their
further presence on the slopes too dangerous. A hot ash cloud from an eruption
forced the SAR group to leave the area carrying only one corpse while the three
other bodies were left behind. The Jakarta Globe, quoting the Antara news
agency, reported the same day that a total of six bodies of the missing
Disaster Response Team members were recovered from the village of Glagaharjo in
Sleman, Yogyakarta. The bodies of another two members of the response team,
known as Tagana, were yet to be found or recovered. The victims had been
missing since Thursday and were presumed dead.
On Monday 8
November Dr. Surono, Head of the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation
(PVMBG) reminded volunteers and rescue workers that eruptive activity was still
high. Volunteers were reminded to be aware of the mortal danger presented by
the pyroclastic clouds and were encouraged to concentrate on assisting the
living at the refugee shelters rather than being concerned about the evacuation
of the dead from the mountain. It was made clear by Dr. Surono that only Army
Special Forces, specialised Search and Rescue teams, and the Police should be
involved in those highly dangerous activities. Nine further victims died from
the further eruptions of Mount Merapi
at Dr Sardjito hospital in Yogyakata on Monday 9 November bringing the total
number of deaths recorded there to 97, with 103 victims still being treated at
that hospital.
The death
toll was reported to be over 153 by 9 November with at least 320,000 people
reported to have been evacuated to emergency shelters. One hospital recorded 12
more bodies brought to its morgue on 9 November, including seven pulled from a
destroyed village. Another five people who were being treated for burns died.
The National
Disaster Management Agency announced on 11 November that the death toll since
the first eruption on 26 October had climbed to 194, three quarters of those
from searing heat blasts during the biggest eruptions and included deaths from
respiratory problems, heart attacks and other illnesses related to the
eruptions.
The number
of people killed by the ongoing eruptions had risen to 275 by 18 November. The
National Disaster Management Agency announced the death toll had climbed after
more than a dozen victims succumbed to their injuries, the majority of those
being from severe burns. Most of the 275 people were reported as being killed
by searing gas clouds and from respiratory complications, burns and other
illnesses related to the eruptions. Some victims died in road and other
accidents during the panicked exodus from the mountain. By 22 November, the death toll had
risen to 304 and by 24 November the toll had risen to 324. Syamsul Maarif, head
of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) explained that the death toll
had risen after a number of victims succumbed to severe burns and more bodies
were found on the volcano’s slopes. By 3 December the toll had risen to 353.
Civil impacts
kille
President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Yogyakarta on the night Friday, 5 November
and had set up his command post at Gedung Agung, the presidential residence 30
kilometers south of the volcano. Yudhoyono said he had also assigned Agung
Laksono, coordinating minister for people’s welfare, to coordinate aid from the
central government. The military mobilised a brigade to build makeshift
hospitals and public kitchens to serve the growing number of displaced. The
President also announced that the coordination of disaster mitigation for the
eruption had been tasked to Syamsul Maarif, the head of the National Disaster
Mitigation Agency (BNPB). “Looking at the scale and the continuity of the
disaster, I decided that the command is now in the hand of the BNPB head with
the help of the Yogyakarta and Central Java governors, the Diponegoro military
commander and the heads of the police of Central Java and Yogyakarta,” he said,
adding that the decision was effective as of Friday.
The alert
level for the volcano remained at level 4. On 6 November the official exclusion
zone was at radius 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the summit of Mount Merapi.
Refugee camps that were previously located within a radius of 15 kilometres
(9.3 mi) were re-located to secure locations placing an added burden upon
logistics and the delivery of basic needs to the people displaced by the
evacuations.[
By 7
November due to the eruptions and ash falls in the surrounding area of Central
Java, the price of many vegetables, such as potatoes and water spinach were
reported as increasing. Schools were reported closed up to 120 kilometres
(75 mi) west of Yogyakarta.
On 8
November upon a directive from both the President and the Prime Minister of the
United Arab Emirates the UAE Red Crescent Authority (Red Cross) responded to
appeals by Indonesian officials to assist the Yogyakarta population and is
providing a Field hospital.
According to head of medical services at the UAE Interior Ministry Brig. Salem
Al-Junaibi is to be staffed by medical and administrative workers and will be
set up within the 'safe zone' more than 20 km from the mountain.
Acute
respiratory infection, hypertension, and headache were affecting Mount Merapi
eruption survivors. "The displaced people are so vulnerable to these
diseases," an official of the Health Ministry Supriyantoro stated on
Sunday, 7 November. Refugees received medical treatment at clinics set up inside
the refugee shelters with serious cases despatched to local hospitals, the
Mount Merapi refugees were not required to pay for medical treatment. 45
hospitals and more than 100 health centers were serving Mount Merapi eruption
victims in the districts of Sleman, Klaten, Magelang and Boyolali, he said.
"But we (health workers) have difficulties in taking care of the refugees`
health problems because many moved from one refugee shelter to another."
Asked about the medical supplies for the refugees, especially those with
serious burns, he said the supplies were not sufficient, but situation could
still be handled and overcome.
On Tuesday, 9 November, Indonesian Red Cross
chairman Jusuf Kalla encouraged the development of a disaster preparedness
curriculum to assist in dealing with natural disasters("Harus ada
kurikulum kebencanaan") through an ongoing training and education.
320,000
people were reported to have been evacuated to emergency shelters by 9 November
following the widening of the evacuation zone the previous week. Many children
remained separated from their parents due to the chaos surrounding the mass
exodus of refugees fleeing from the mountain slopes and the refugees were
living in cramped temporary shelters after being ordered to evacuate from a
20-kilometre "danger zone" around Mount Merapi. "We are
concerned about children who are yet to be united with their parents,"
said Makbul Mubarak, a coordinator for volunteers who are trying to reunite
separated families.
A Merapi
Response Radio 100.2 FM "talk show" presented the Yogyakarta
Governor, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the head of the BNPB, Dr. Syamsul
Maarif, and chief of the PVMBG, Dr. Surono on evening of 11 November. A media
center and a call center were also established to attempt to assist in bridging
an information gap related to information on current conditions and the
management of victims of Merapi. BNPB stated that many issues and news reports
in the media and are misleading and many irresponsible SMS's were circulating.
by that time more than 350,000 people had been evacuated to cramped emergency
shelters. Thousands of evacuees were in limbo in refugee camps, posing a very
real threat to their mental health. Supriyantoro, the Health Ministry’s
director general for medical services, said his office had noted that many of
the evacuees were beginning to exhibit symptoms of mild mental health problems,
which he said was not surprising, given the current situation. Preliminary
findings at the time showed at least eight people were suffering from serious
depression and anxiety, while one man had committed suicide, reportedly due to
stress.
On Thursday,
18 November the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs issued a
second update to their 11 November travel advisory bulletin acknowledging the
announcement by Indonesian authorities on 15 November scaling back the 20
kilometre exclusion zone in some of the regions around Mount Merapi. The exclusion
zone had been reduced to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) in the District
(Kabupaten) of Magelang and to 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in the Districts of
Klaten and Boyolali. The exclusion zone in the District of Sleman, towards the
city of Yogyakarta, remained at 20 kilometres (12 mi). The exclusion zone
did not include the metropolitan areas of Yogyakarta or Adisucipto
International Airport However the Indonesian Government advised that Adisucipto
International Airport would be closed until at least 20 November. Other
airports in Java had been subject to periodic closure due to volcanic activity
at Mount Merapi. The travel bulletin
further advised that eruptions or any widening of the Indonesian Government’s
exclusion zone would likely cause major disruption to services in Yogyakarta
and surrounding areas. At the time the advisory was issued residents of
Yogyakarta were still able to leave the city by road and rail, however any
possible widening of the exclusion zone was considered to have the potential to
affect the availability of departure options. It was noted that there had been
a deterioration in air quality in Yogyakarta from ash falling on the city. It
was cautioned that volcanic ash could cause breathing difficulties,
particularly for people with chronic respiratory ailments such as asthma,
emphysema, or bronchitis.
The
Indonesian Social Welfare Minister, Salim Segaf Al-Jufri announced on 19 November
that the government planned to end the emergency response period for the Mount
Merapi eruption disaster on 24 November. "We will maintain the emergency
response period until 24 November. Whether the period will be extended or not
will depend on the situation." Speaking to newsmen in Magelang district,
he said the Mt Merapi evacuees could return home after the volcano's
"beware" status had been lowered. The social welfare ministry
had distributed relief aid packages containing staple food and blankets during
the emergency response period. After the end of the emergency response period,
the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) planned to begin implementing
the reconstruction and rehabilitation programs for Mt Merapi victims. By mid
November the eruptions had damaged 867 hectares of forest land on the volcano's
slopes in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, with material losses estimated at
Rp33 billion. The damaged areas included the Merapi National Park,
community forests and the farms and plantations of the local people. Magelang’s
district administration decided to extend the emergency period, scheduled to
end on 24 November, for a further period of 2 weeks until 9 December as
Merapi’s alert status still remained at the highest level in late November
2010. Heri Prawoto, the head of the district’s Disaster Management Office was
reported as saying that “there is still the possibility that some areas in Magelang
will be impacted by volcanic debris".
Yogyakarta’s
Disaster Management Agency reported in late November that there were about 500
reported cases of eruption survivors in Sleman district suffering from minor to
severe psychological problems, and about 300 cases in Magelang.
Volcanic ash plume
Air
travel disruption
The
eruptions and subsequent volcanic ash plumes caused extensive disruption to
aviation movements across central and western Java in early November. Some
flights to and fromBandung, Jakarta and Solo were
effected and many international and domestic airlines suspended operations to
and from those cities. Yogyakarta's Adisucipto International Airportwas closed
on many occasions in early November due to limited visibility and ash falls
upon the runway, taxiway and terminal aprons. Adisucipto International Airport
is the third busiest airport on the island of Java and lies approximately 13.5
NM (25 kilometres (16 mi)) to the south of Merapi. An Airbus A330-300
flight operated for Garuda Airlines as a Hajjpilgrimage from Solo's Adisumarmo International Airport 19NM (35 km) east of Merapi and
travelling to Batam en route to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) was reported to have
suffered from ash related engine damage on 28 October. It was however later
reported to have suffered from blade
tip rubbingand was not apparently damaged by volcanic ash ingestion.
On 3 November
Garuda Indonesia diverted its embarkation point for Hajj pilgrims from Solo to Surabaya to keep flights from being delayed by
volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Merapi.
On 4
November Herry Bakti Gumay, Director General
of air transportation, stated that the warning released to all
airlines operating flights into Yogyakarta would not withdraw warning until
conditions returned to normal. Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, speaking
in Jakarta, said he had instructed airlines to direct all flights crossing Java
to the north or south to avoid Merapi. “We have already prepared alternative
routes for all flights,” he said. “It may cost more and use up more fuel, but
safety comes first.”
On 5
November at 05:27 (UTC) the Australian government Bureau of
Meteorology (VAAC)
issued an ongoing code red Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory and reported satellite image (MTSAT-2) derived
information indicating a volcanic ash plume to FL550 OBS extending 190 nautical
miles to the west and southwest of the mountain. Yogyakarta's Adisucipto
International Airport (JOG) was closed and flights were diverted to Solo's
Adisumarmo International Airport (SOC) to the east of Mount Merapi.
On 6
November at 11:07(UTC) the Australian government Bureau of Meteorology (VAAC)
issued an ongoing code red Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory and reported
satellite image (MTSAT-2) derived information indicating a volcanic ash plume
to FL550 OBS extending 190 nautical miles (352 kilometres (219 mi)) to the
west of the mountain. At
Jakarta'sSoekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) airlines cancelled 36 flights on
6 November over concerns about volcanic ash. The Indonesian Disaster Management
Office reported that volcanic ash from Merapi was falling in Jakarta and some
nearby areas such as Bogor and Puncak on Saturday the night of 6 November but
only in very light falls.
By 7
November the Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory issued from Darwin Australia
reported the volcanic ash plume "to FL250 OBS extending 100 nautical miles
to the west".Fights to cities close to Merapi including Yogyakarta, Solo
and Bandung were affected by concerns of ash in
the air around the mountain and of that blowing from the mountains ash plume
toward the west and south west of Merapi. The closure of smaller airports near
the volcano delayed the arrival of burn cream and ventilators for those whose
skin and lungs have been damaged by the ash, heat and volcanic gases. The VAAC
code red status was issued again for that day describing an ash plume extending
westward to 120 NM (222 kilometres (138 mi)), the last observations being
made at 08:30 (UTC) 14:30 local time at Yogyakarta.
At Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) airlines canceled 50 flights on
Sunday, 7 November in addition to 36 flights cancelled on 6 November over
concerns about volcanic ash. Many international airlines halted flights to the
capital however some carriers resumed some flights on Sunday 7 November.
Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport normally handles around 900 flights per day
and a spokesman for Soekarno-Hatta Airport, confirmed that the capital's
airport remained fully open. Flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air still operated international flights
out of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport. Garuda Indonesia spokesman Pujobroto
told news portal kompas.com, “There has been no notice to airman so far from
the aviation authorities which says the airport is affected by the volcanic
ash. Therefore Garuda continues its activities.”
Domestic flights to and from Yogyakarta were cancelled by Garuda Indonesia: 15 flights (8 departure / 7 arrival), Lion Air: 4 flights (3 departure / 1 arrival), Batavia Air: 2 flights (1 departure / 1 arrival). AirAsia (Malaysia) had previously suspended flights into Yogyakarta and Solo and Silkair (Singapore) had suspended their operations into Solo. Airport operations at Yogyakarta's Adisucipto airport had already been closed or suspended on many occasions due to concerns from ash fall and limited visibility. Garuda and Sriwijaya Air canceled all flights to Yogyakarta until 9 November due to the ash plume. Pujobroto, vice president of corporate communications, Garuda Indonesia announced that with flight conditions between Yogyakarta and Solo also still uncertain, flights from Yogyakarta will not be diverted to Solo and reiterated that there had not been any official declaration that Soekarno Hatta airport had been affected by Merapi's volcanic ashes and nor was it closed down. "Garuda will still continue its services for domestic and international flights to and from Soekarno Hatta airport."
Domestic flights to and from Yogyakarta were cancelled by Garuda Indonesia: 15 flights (8 departure / 7 arrival), Lion Air: 4 flights (3 departure / 1 arrival), Batavia Air: 2 flights (1 departure / 1 arrival). AirAsia (Malaysia) had previously suspended flights into Yogyakarta and Solo and Silkair (Singapore) had suspended their operations into Solo. Airport operations at Yogyakarta's Adisucipto airport had already been closed or suspended on many occasions due to concerns from ash fall and limited visibility. Garuda and Sriwijaya Air canceled all flights to Yogyakarta until 9 November due to the ash plume. Pujobroto, vice president of corporate communications, Garuda Indonesia announced that with flight conditions between Yogyakarta and Solo also still uncertain, flights from Yogyakarta will not be diverted to Solo and reiterated that there had not been any official declaration that Soekarno Hatta airport had been affected by Merapi's volcanic ashes and nor was it closed down. "Garuda will still continue its services for domestic and international flights to and from Soekarno Hatta airport."
Department
of Air Transport’s Director General Herry Bakti announced on 8 November that
flights in and out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta had
returned to normal.
On Thursday 11 November, ash continued to spread over
western Java and was falling just short of Jakarta according to the Volcanic
Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia. Flight activity at Jakarta's airport
was normal and Yogyakarta's airport was closed until Monday 15 November. On the
morning of 11 November the volcano was ejecting ash 1,000 metres
(3,300 ft) into the air. High
level clouds were observed over the Indian ocean and were thought to be
volcanic ash bearing. A code red aviation alert was continued and at 16:41 a
volcanic ash plume was seem to be extending to 25,000 feet (7,600 m)
-FL250 extending to 150 nautical miles 240 kilometres (2.4×1011 ml)
to the west. It had been observed earlier that day travelling 150 nautical
miles 240 kilometres (2.4×1011 ml) to the north west as it had
the day prior. The volcano was observed on 4–8 November by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura spacecraft and imagery indicated that a sulfur dioxide plume had been released into the upper troposphere.
Sulfur dioxide, is a colorless gas that can harm human health and cool earth's climate.
Besides elevating the risk of acid rain, the ions can also react to form
particles that reflect sunlight. On 9 November 2010, the Volcanic Ash Advisory
Centre in Darwin, Australia, also reported a sulfur dioxide cloud over the
Indian Ocean between 12,000 and 15,000 meters (40,000 and 50,000 feet), in the
upper troposphere.
An
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs travel advisory bulletin
issued on 18 November noted that the exclusion zone in place at that time did
not include the metropolitan areas of Yogyakarta or Adisucipto International
Airport. The Indonesian Government had advised that Adisucipto International
Airport would be closed until at least 20 November whilst other airports in
Java had been subject to periodic closure due to volcanic activity at Mount
Merapi. It was further noted that there had been a deterioration in air quality
in Yogyakarta from ash falling on the city. It was cautioned that volcanic ash
could cause breathing difficulties, particularly for people with chronic
respiratory ailments such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis with a further
caution that volcanic activity at Mount Merapi was continuing and could lead to
further disruptions to international and domestic flights to locations
throughout Indonesia. Acting upon information derived from MSTAT imagery on 19
November VAAC, Darwin notified of an ash plume observed at a height of(15,000
feet (4,600 m) - F150), extending 40 nautical miles (75 kilometres (47 mi))
to the west of the mountain. The (VAAC) Aviation Volcanic Ash Advisory warning
of code red was applied in the 10:50 (UTC) advisory, elevated from a code
orange issued earlier at 06:36 (UTC).
Effect
on Borobudur
Borobudurwas again "temporarily closed for tourists" from the morning of 10November due to the continuing fall of volcanic ash Merapi.