More than 500 evacuated as Indonesian volcano spews lava

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

JAKARTA (AFP) — More than 500 people have been evacuated from the slopes of Mount Karangetang which has been spewing lava and hot clouds on the northern Indonesian island of Siau, a report said Sunday.

The conditions have forced authorities to raise the area's alert status by one rung, with a total of 151 families or 564 people being evacuated from three villages on the slopes of the 1,784-metre (5,958-foot) Karangetang volcano.

Lava and hot clouds emerged from the peak of the mountain on Friday, the Indopos newspaper quoted the Sitaro district chief, Idrus Mokodompit as saying.

Officials of the vulcanology office could not be immediately reached by telephone on Sunday but the office's website said that the alert status on Mount Karangetang had been raised...