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Philippines: Ghost towns around Taal as frightened thousands flee volcano

Via ABS-CBN News: Ghost towns around Taal as frightened thousands flee volcano. Excerpt:

TALISAY, Batangas -- An ashen beach and toppled trees were all that remained of a popular wedding venue a short boat ride from Taal, one of many areas transformed into ghost towns overnight as thousands fled the volcano's wrath. 

Roads were shrouded in thick gray smoke as evacuees, their heads wrapped in cloth, clambered onto pickup trucks. Markets and offices in city centers were shut with a "hazardous" eruption possible, according to authorities.  

Rains were expected in the ash-covered provinces of Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna, threatening to turn the debris into mud. A state of calamity was declared in Batangas, which will allow authorities there to tap emergency funds and freeze prices of basic goods. 

The ash clouds from Sunday's eruption prompted the overnight closure of Manila's main airport, where some 240 flights were canceled. It reopened at noon with ashfall seen to shift to Quezon province. 

"You could not sleep anymore, because every time you closed your eyes the house would shake," restaurant owner Lia Monteverde told AFP, describing the earthquakes that followed the eruption. 

"All of us didn't sleep at all. We just prepared to leave."  

At Balai Isabel, the popular wedding events venue, ash-covered the beachfront while tires of parked cars and SUVs were caked in mud.

Philippines: Ash blanket stalls travel, markets as thousands flee rumbling Taal

Via ABS-CBN News: Ash blanket stalls travel, markets as thousands flee rumbling Taal. Click or tap through for a video.

TAGAYTAY CITY -- (UPDATE) Gray ash from Taal Volcano blanketed large parts of Southern Luzon and Metro Manila on Monday, shutting the country's main airport overnight, prompting a health advisory, and forcing thousands to flee as authorities kept vigil for a possible hazardous eruption.  

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport reopened for departures at 10 a.m. and arrivals at 12 p.m., aviation authorities said as they managed a throng of passengers at the terminal. 

Relief workers trudged through ash-covered roads with their headlights on at dawn in Agoncillo, Batangas. In the capital, people lined up for face masks, some at 8 times the retail price as they cleaned ash-covered cars and roofs.  

Taal spewed lava on Monday, a day after it blew ash and steam into the air. Alert Level 4, the second-highest in a 5-step scale, was raised, meaning a "hazardous" eruption was possible in days. 

"Napakabilis ng pagbabago ng kanyang kundisyon (The condition is changing very rapidly)," said Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum. 

In a "worst case scenario," Solidum told DZMM that magma could come out of the volcano as it shoots ash and rocks into the air.

Located in the middle of a picturesque lake that straddles the tourist city of Tagaytay and a heritage town of the same name, Taal's last eruption was in 1977, Solidum earlier said.  

Inhaling ash could lead to cough and difficulty and breathing. It could also irritate the eyes, the Department of Health said. The public was also warned about the possibility of roofs caving in due to accumulated ash.

Whakaari / White Island rescue: Tourists were screaming, others were in shock - witness

Via RNZ News: Whakaari / White Island rescue: Tourists were screaming, others were in shock - witness. Excerpt:

Police do not believe there are any survivors on Whakaari / White Island, as eight people are confirmed missing after yesterday's eruption. 

Waikato Police Superintendent Bruce Bird said eight people were missing; 47 people went on to the island, five are confirmed dead, 31 are in hospital and three have been discharged. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised the efforts of the local community in a press conference this morning. 

Two private helicopters were able to land and rescue survivors along with a volcanic air helicopter. There was another helicopter in the vicinity that was unable to land.  

One Westpac helicopter landed on the island and was able to transport survivors back to the mainland.  

"In the immediate aftermath a number of helicopters made a deliberate decision to fly to rescue the survivors."  

"I want to thank the courageous decision made by first responders and those pilots in their immediate rescue effort made an incredibly brave decision under extraordinarily dangerous circumstances in an attempt to get people out," Ardern said. 

"As a results of their efforts, a number of people were rescued from the island." 

A tourist boat also travelled to the island and rescued people stranded on the jetty at White Island.

Passenger Michael Shade told the Guardian the skipper of the boat had put on speed to get away from the volcano, but after the smoke cleared they could see a crowd of people and decided to return. 

He said some of the tourists were screaming and others were in shock. 

"Some people had pockets of burns, other people were fine, and others were really rough," he told the Guardian. 

Halfway back to mainland, a coastguard vessel met the boat and paramedics came on board.  

Westpac Rescue Helicopter senior pilot James Taylor said two helicopters joined the rescue operation and a third was used to transport blood from the Auckland blood bank down to Whakatāne and was later used to move patients between hospitals. 

He said the biggest concern was whether it was a one-off event or there would be another eruption.  

"The crews planned quite carefully where they thought the safest place on the island was, as far away from the crater as possible and upwind of any ash or debris," he told Nine to Noon. 

"They had to consider it quite carefully to balance the risk to the crews and helicopters against the benefit of helping any potential casualties," Mr Taylor said.

Why White Island erupted and why there was no warning

Via The Conversation: Why White Island erupted and why there was no warning. Click or tap through for the full article, photos, and a video. Excerpt:

Five people have been confirmed dead, 18 have been rescued and are injured, some seriously, and several remain unaccounted for after a sudden volcanic eruption on Whakaari/White Island off the east coast of New Zealand.  

The island is a tourist destination and around 50 people were on it when it erupted on Monday afternoon. Volcanologists at GeoNet, which operates a geological hazard monitoring system, described the eruption as impulsive and short-lived, with an ash plume that rose to more than three kilometres above the vent. 

Volcanic hazards 

White Island is one of several volcanoes in New Zealand that can produce sudden explosive eruptions at any time. In this case, magma is shallow, and the heat and gases affect surface and ground water to form vigorous hydrothermal systems. 

In these, water is trapped in pores of rocks in a super-heated state. Any external process, such as an earthquake, gas input from below, or even a change in the lake water level can tip this delicate balance and release the pressure on the hot and trapped water. 

The resulting steam-driven eruption, also called a hydrothermal or phreatic eruption, can happen suddenly and with little to no warning. The expansion of water into steam is supersonic in speed and the liquid can expand to 1,700 times its original volume. This produces catastrophic impacts.  

The expansion energy is enough to shatter solid rock, excavate craters and eject rock fragments and ash out to hundreds of metres away from the vent. We know of sites in New Zealand where material has been blasted out over three kilometres from the vent by such eruptions. 

Potential for further eruptions 

The hazards expected from steam-driven eruptions are violent ejections of hot blocks and ash, and the formation of “hurricane-like” currents of wet ash and coarse particles that radiate from the explosion vent. These can be deadly in terms of impact trauma, burns and respiratory injuries.  

The eruptions are short-lived, but once one happens, there is a high chance for further, generally smaller ones as the system re-equilibrates. White Island is an acute location for such activity, but it is not the only location in New Zealand where this can happen.

Indonesia orders flights to steer clear of erupting Anak Krakatau volcano

Via Thomson Reuters: Indonesia orders flights to steer clear of erupting Anak Krakatau volcano. Excerpt:

Indonesia on Thursday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the second-highest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people. 

A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 metres (16 feet) high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra. 

Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast.  

The volcano has been rumbling on and off since June but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3,000 metres into heavily overcast skies.  

The national geological agency, in raising the alert level to the second-highest, set a 5-km exclusion zone around the island. 

"Since December 23, activity has not stopped ... We anticipate a further escalation," said Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency. 

A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java since late on Wednesday, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency. 

Authorities said the ash was not dangerous, but advised residents to wear masks and goggles when outside, while aircraft were ordered away.  

"All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert," Indonesia's air traffic control agency AirNav said in a release.

Indonesia tsunami: Coastline still under threat amid fresh volcanic activity

Via The Guardian: Indonesia tsunami: coastline still under threat amid fresh volcanic activity. Excerpt:

The Indonesia authorities have warned that the tsunami-ravaged coast of western Java could be hit by further dangerous waves as volcanic activity continued in the area.  

Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology, and geophysical agency said that a new tsunami could arrive soon in the area around the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait. A 2km exclusion zone has been set up around the volcano.

Saturday’s tsunami was caused by land shifting on Anak Krakatau, which was still spewing ash on Tuesday as heavy rain fell in the area. 

Dwikorita Karnawati, head of the agency, said: “All these conditions could potentially cause landslides at the cliffs of the crater into the sea, and we fear that that could trigger a tsunami.” 

She added that the authorities hoped to be able to inform the public about unusual activity related to the volcano, unlike ahead of Saturday night’s tsunami. 

“We have developed a monitoring system focused specifically on the volcanic tremors at Anak Krakatau so that we can issue early warnings,” she said. 

Beaches were largely empty in the hard-hit area of Carita on Wednesday, and police patrolled the area on motorbikes warning people to stay away from the coast. Some people defied the order, returning to what was left of their homes to begin cleaning up as heavy rain fell and waves pounded the shore. 

The number of dead has now reached 430. The figure may rise significantly with 159 people still reported as missing on Wednesday. Almost 1,500 people were reported injured, with 21,991 displaced from their homes.

Indonesia tsunami: Torrential rain hampers rescue efforts as death toll rises to 429

Via The Guardian: Indonesia tsunami: torrential rain hampers rescue efforts as death toll rises to 429. Excerpt:

Search efforts for the 154 people still missing in the disaster zone of the deadly tsunami that has killed at least 429 people continued on Tuesday, with some officials admitting privately that the chance of finding more survivors alive was slim. 

At the Tanjung Lesung beach resort, where the pop band Seventeen was performing when the tsunami struck, resort director Kunto Wijoyo told the Guardian he spent Sunday morning helping to carry some of the 106 bodies of people who died at the holiday retreat. 

“There were men, women and babies,” he said, adding that he hoped authorities would consider building a dam in the area to prevent further similar disasters. 

A grass lawn nearby was strewn with crumpled metal that had formed the band’s stage, with half-destroyed musical instrument cases lying among the wreckage.  

A policeman at the resort, large parts of which were obliterated by the waves, said rescue teams were legally obliged to keep searching for the missing people for seven days, beginning last Sunday morning.  

Soldiers combed the coast, flying drones overhead as torrential rain contributed to tricky driving conditions for ambulances ferrying injured people to local hospitals. 

Rescuers have also been searching Sumur, an area at the very southern part of where the tsunami hit. 

Officials confirmed there were 1,485 people injured by the tsunami as well as 882 houses and 73 hotels and villas damaged. More than 430 boats were also damaged.

Indonesia tsunami caused by collapse of volcano, experts confirm

Via The Guardian: Indonesia tsunami caused by collapse of volcano, experts confirm. Excerpt:

Saturday’s tsunami in Indonesia was caused by a chunk of the volcanic Anak Krakatau island slipping into the ocean, it was confirmed on Monday, as officials at the country’s natural disaster agency said it must develop a new tsunami early warning system.  

At least 373 people were killed, hundreds injured and many buildings were heavily damaged when the tsunami struck, almost without warning, along the rim of the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra islands. 

Anak Krakatau had been spewing ash and lava for months before a 64-hectare section of its south-west side collapsed, an Indonesian official said. “This caused an underwater landslide and eventually caused the tsunami,” Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of the meteorological agency, said. 

Images captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite showed that a large portion of the southern flank of the volcano had slid off into the ocean, scientists said.

The fact the tsunami was triggered by a volcano rather than an earthquake meant no tsunami warning was triggered, scientists said. Coastal residents reported not seeing or feeling any warning signs before waves of up to three metres high surged in. 

Hundreds of military personnel and volunteers spent Monday scouring beaches strewn with debris in search of survivors. At least 1,459 people were injured and more than 600 homes, 60 shops and 420 vessels damaged when the tsunami struck.

Indonesia tsunami 2018: Death toll rises to 281 after Sunda Strait disaster

Via The Guardian's live blog: Indonesia tsunami 2018: death toll rises to 281 after Sunda Strait disaster. 

It’s 9.30am in Jakarta and here are the latest developments from today: 

• The death toll has risen to 281, with over 1,000 people injured and 11,600 people displaced. 

• The district of Pandeglang was worst hit, with 207 killed and 755 injured. 

• The tsunami struck on Saturday night after an underwater landslide caused by eruptions from the Anak Krakatau volcano. 

• The spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster agency called for a new early warning system, because the current system cannot detect tsunamis caused by landslides. 

• He added that Indonesia’s tsunami buoy network hasn’t been operational since 2012, due to “vandalism” and “a limited budget”. 

• More members of rock band Seventeen, who were filmed on stage when the tsunami hit, were announced as dead, while others are still missing.

Indonesia tsunami: Latest update

Via The Guardian's live blog: Indonesia tsunami: 222 dead and 'many missing' after Anak Krakatoa erupts – latest updates.

We’re wrapping up the blog for the evening. Here’s a summary of what has happened.  

• At least 222 people have been killed and 843 injured after a tsunami hit the coast of Indonesia’s Sunda Strait. 

• Twenty-eight people are missing and authorities expect the death toll to rise as many affected areas have not yet been reached. 

• The tsunami hit at about 9.30pm on Saturday night, Indonesian time, which is around 2.30pm GMT. There was no pre-warning given. 

• The tsunami is thought to have been caused by the eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano, which may have triggered underwater landslides. 

• Indonesia’s disaster management agency said 556 houses, nine hotels, 60 culinary stalls and 350 boats were known to have been damaged. 

• Aid agencies are helping to evacuate the injured and bring in clean water, tarpaulins and provide shelter. The Red Cross said they were preparing for the possibility of diseases breaking out in the tsunami zone. 

Here is today’s full report into the disaster.