Hundreds evacuated from Papua New Guinea island after volcano explodes

[Meatpie]

Photo: Kadovar Island volcano sends ash and smoke high up as it prepares to blow

Papua New Guinea authorities have ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 people from Biem Island amid fears of a volcanic eruption, as the country's Prime Minister directed national resources to neighbouring Kadovar island.

The Prime Minister's office warned tremors from that volcano posed a tsunami risk to the mainland's north coast and surrounding islands — including Biem Island and nearby Ruprup Island, where evacuees from Kadovar had been sent.

A statement from Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said national government agencies had been stood up to respond to the activity on Kadovar Island.
"Volcanoes are very unpredictable, we are hearing various reports that activity has been building up and we need to take all precautions to keep our people safe," the statement said "We will not take risks with human lives, let's get people out of harm's way now."

Meanwhile the Governor of East Sepik province, Allan Bird, said military personnel had warned of an "imminent volcanic eruption" on Biem Island.
On the advice he had from experts, Mr Bird said the island is "a time bomb," and ordered its residents to be evacuated.

"We don't know how much time we have, and we just need to get the people off.

"Our priority right now is we're hoping to get all the people off before the volcanos explode, and we have no idea when that's going to happen."
Neither Biem or Kadovar islands have dedicated seismic monitoring technology, so scientists and authorities had been monitoring the volcano from aerial flyovers and satellite imagery.


"There is yellowing of the ocean around the island, which the volcanologists tell me is magma moving up, it is forcing iron to dissolve into the sea water and that is causing the discolouration," Mr Bird said.

 

[alexonedeath]

Isn't New Guinea famous for its headhunters? I wonder if they could possibly still be carrying on in the deepest, darkest jungles of the island? There's a place online (for real) where you can purchase genuine shrunken human heads, but they aren't cheap.

 

[deaddirty]

And they also wear penis gourds (or used to - they may be out of fashion now, and I would not recommend them as one's only attire when facing an erupting volcano).

 

[alexonedeath]

Yes, I've seen photos of the natives wearing them, and I do not believe gourds could ever have been comfortable peniswear. What were those silly cannibals thinking? The Red Cross should give them a case of those cute knitted Peter Heaters.