Date: Wed, 7 Dec 94 12:25:11 EST
From: incident@vita.org (Disaster Information Administrator)
Subject: Indonesia: Volcano (DHA-04)
INDONESIA - MT. MERAPI VOLCANIC ERUPTION
DHA-GENEVA INFORMATION REPORT NO. 4
7 DECEMBER 1994
SITUATION
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1. 58 DEAD. INDONESIAN AND JAPANESE MEDICAL TEAMS JOINTLY
CONDUCTING LIFE-SAVING SURGERY ON 22 CRITICALLY INJURED VICTIMS.
ALSO, WHO PLASTIC SURGERY ADVISOR ARRIVED IN YOGYAKARTA.
2. CONTINUING SMALL ERUPTIONS ARE CAUSING LAVA FLOWS UP TO 1.5
KM DOWN RIVER BOYONG.
3. PYROCLASTIC FLOW HAS DAMAGED A SPRING WATER SOURCE, WHICH
SUPPLIES CLEAN WATER TO KALLURANG RESORT TOWN (NEXT TO VILLAGE OF
TURGO).
4. ONE MILLION CUBIC METERS OF PYROCLASTIC SEDIMENT NOW CONDENS-
ING ALONG RIVER BOYONG, WHILE ANOTHER 12 MILLION CUBIC METERS IS
STILL LOOSE AROUND CRATER.
NATIONAL RESPONSE
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5. LOCAL VULCANOLOGY OFFICE, DECLARING THAT ERUPTION HAS SLOWED
DOWN, HAS LET EVACUEES FROM NON-DANGEROUS ZONES RETURN HOME.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE DECIDED THAT 2,700 EVACUEES FROM 5
VILLAGES IN DANGEROUS ZONE WILL BE RESETTLED LOCALLY. PLANS FOR
THIS RESETTLEMENT/TRANSMIGRATION TO BE DEVELOPED.
6. 15,000 PEOPLE IN 11 VILLAGES ALONG RIVER CODE IN YOGYAKARTA
HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO POSSIBILITY OF EVACUATION, SINCE ANY HEAVY
RAINFALL AROUND RIVER BOYONG COULD IMMEDIATELY TRIGGER COLD LAHAR
FLOW TO YOGYAKARTA.
7. COLD LAHAR CONTROL IS URGENTLY NEEDED. EXISTING LAHAR
CONTROL WORKS AND SABO DAMS HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ON WEST SIDE
OF VOLCANO IN MAGELANG DISTRICT. RIVER BOYONG HAS ONLY 2 SABO
DAMS OF 400,000 CUBIC METER CAPACITY. GOVT PLANS TO CONSTRUCT
3 SABO DAMS OF 350,000 CUBIC METER CAPACITY EACH, DOWNSTREAM FROM
RIVER BOYONG.
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
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8. ON 2 DEC, DONOR INFORMATION MEETING WAS HELD AT UNDP OFFICE,
AND DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES INDICATED
THAT VOLCANO IS STILL UNSTABLE. HE REPORTED THAT MT. MERAPI HAS
A 3-4 YEAR ERUPTION CYCLE AND SAID THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER STRONG
ERUPTION IN NEAR FUTURE. HE EMPHASIZED IMMEDIATE NECESSITY TO
PROMOTE PEOPLE'S ALERTNESS TO DANGERS AND TO PRECAUTIONARY
MEASURES TO BE TAKEN BY YOGYAKARTA AUTHORITIES TO REDUCE VULNER-
ABILITY.
9. FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES, DONORS ARE REQUESTED TO INFORM
DHA-GENEVA, AS INDICATED BELOW, OF BILATERAL RELIEF MISSIONS/
PLEDGES/CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING VALUE BY ITEM.
= DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - GENEVA +
TELEPHONE: +41-22-917-1234
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY, TELEPHONE: +41-22-917-2010
DESK OFFICER: S. NISHIKAWA, DIRECT TEL: +41-22-917-3131
PRESS TO CONTACT:
DHA-GENEVA SPOKESPERSON: MR. KHATIB, DIRECT TEL: +41-22-917-2856
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22-917-0023
ELECTRONIC MAIL: UNIENET DIALCOM 141:DHAGVA
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