[Excerpt: The 2,361-metre (7,746-ft) Mount Karthala erupted on Sunday, forcing hundreds of villagers to flee in fear of poisonous gas and a possible magma flow as the crater threw up dust and boulders.]
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18633251.htm Comoros volcano spews ash, fearful residents pray 18 Apr 2005 14:11:10 GMT Source: Reuters By Matthew Green MORONI, April 18 (Reuters) - A volcano spewed ash in the Indian Ocean Comoros islands for a second day on Monday amid fears the angry mountain's first eruption in a decade could release a river of deadly lava. "There was lots of sound, people are really scared. We don't know which way the lava might flow," said Abdilahi Madi, 53, a taxi driver in the capital Moroni, where residents knelt in prayer for an end to their ordeal. The 2,361-metre (7,746-ft) Mount Karthala erupted on Sunday, forcing hundreds of villagers to flee in fear of poisonous gas and a possible magma flow as the crater threw up dust and boulders. The majestic crag and its slopes form most of the land mass of Grande Comore, the main island in the Comoros chain which lies 300 km (190 miles) off east Africa, and which has witnessed periodic eruptions. Residents said they feared the kind of noxious fumes that seeped from the volcano a century ago, killing 17 people. "We couldn't sleep last night because of the dust," said Mohamed Djalih, an airport customs official. "People near the crater felt the earth shaking." Families from the villages of Trelezini and Tsorale have moved into Moroni, which lies on the west coast of Grande Comore, about 15 km (9 miles) from Karthala's crater, which towers above the Indian Ocean. Karthala, a black peak soaring above vanilla vine plantations on its fertile slopes, last erupted on July 11, 1991, hurling boulders for several kilometres but causing no injuries. DANGEROUS GASES Officials had no figure for the number who fled Karthala's southern flank, the most affected zone, but added the area was normally home to 10,000 residents. Most of the district appeared to have been evacuated by Monday afternoon. Roofs and car bonnets around the capital were coated with thick grey dust. A few people wore white surgical masks or held handkerchiefs to their faces but most wore no protection from the choking fumes. Residents gathered in mosques on Sunday to pray for an end to the eruption and on Monday groups could be seen kneeling in prayer around Moroni praying for Karthala to calm down. A plane landing in Moroni whipped up a huge plume of dust on the runway. Residents said they had seen an orange glow over the top of the crater on Sunday evening. Defence Minister Houmed Msaidie has warned residents to stay away from the area to avoid the risk of exposure to dangerous gases. "The volcano has started to erupt and two regions are exposed for the moment, Dimani and Badjini," Msaidie told reporters. "We cannot rule out the risk that gases could escape and it would be wise to not approach the zones at risk." enditem ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
