Eruption in Indonesia's volcano continues as evacuation prepared

A senior official at Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency of BNPB said on Monday that contingency plans have been set to anticipate the worse from eruption of Raung volcano in East Java that has bern ensuing in the last two weeks.

"BNPB, BNPD and related institutions were now preparing measures to anticipate the worse from the eruption that include the erection of post commands and setting up evacuation route signs," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua by phone on Monday.

He added that the nation's volcano monitoring agency of PVMBG has prohibited people from taking activities at least 3 kilometers from the volcano crater.

According to Sutopo, public settlements were located 8 kilometers away from the crater.

Sutopo said that since it was declared in alert (for eruption) condition in June 29, Raung volcano remains active at present.

"Volcanic tremors and rolling thunders were still frequently saw and felt around the volcano, indicating that movements of smoldering liquid lava were still going on below the crater," Sutopo said.

Thick ashes were seen floating in the air as high as 1 kilometer. Those ashes were eventually drifted by the wind south and southeastward.

Flashes from thunders produced by the eruption were clearly seen from Songgon village in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Sutopo said that the eruption has hurt the economy, largely from closures of several airports located in East Java, Bali and East Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provinces.

Airport administrator opened and closed the airports several times.

In Bali alone, the eruption has canceled 414 flights, leaving more than 39,000 travelers stranded in the leisure island. Endi