Indonesian Lava flood Kills 4 People
Four villagers had been killed and about 1000 people evacuated their homes as fast-moving mudflows from the mouth of a volcano in Eastern Indonesia. Mount Gamalama, located in in the Molucca Islands came to life and became active this month with a powerful yet non-fatal eruption.
Yusuf Sunnya, the government’s spokesperson, stated on Wednesday, December 28, 2001 that the lava flow was due to the continuous heavy rains from recent days. On Tuesday night, the villages nearby were slammed by cold lava, rocks and other debris on the volcano base.
Yusuf also said that the lava flow left 4 people killed and more than a dozen who were injured are still in the hospital with injuries ranging from broken wounds to head wounds.
Indonesia, being an archipelago, has millions of people who live on mountains and or near fertile flood plains. The seasonal downpour of heavy rain has often cause landslides.