Volcanoes in action in Indonesia
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano rumbled early on November 2, emitting red-hot stones and lava. Two other volcanoes in the island nation are also spewing plumes of hot ash and gases. Authorities, however, say there will be no major eruption from Anak Krakatoa.
They are, however, worried about Mount Kelud on Java island because of its deadly history. On November 4, temperature of its crater lake became so high that nearby monitoring equipment stopped working. Officials of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Bandung, said incessant tremors and a dramatic rise in the crater lake's temperature prompted volcanologists to flee their post at Mount Kelud. Authorities have called for the evacuation of residents living within 10-km danger zone around the volcano.
In 1990, Mount Kelud killed more than 30 people; it had killed more than 5,000 people in 1919. Indonesia is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location within the so-called Ring of Fire.