Indonesia has been hit by a number of severe natural disasters in the first two months of 2014. The volcanic eruptions of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra (which started late last year but still continues today although having become less active) and Mount Kelud in East Java led to a total of 20 casualties, hundreds of thousands of evacuees and damaged infrastructure and crops. Moreover, due to torrential rains amid a peak of the rainy season, severe floods ravaged a number of Indonesian regions and cities (particularly Jakarta and Manado).

Read more ›

After the Mount Sinabung volcano (located in North Sumatra) has been erupting continously since September 2013 leading to 17 casualties and tens of thousands of evacuees, another Indonesian volcano - Mount Kelud (in East Java) - erupted around 22:50 West Indonesian Time on Thursday evening (13/02). Only hours prior to the eruption, the alert status of Mount Kelud was raised by the National Volcanology Agency. There have been six confirmed deaths. Volcanic ash and rocks have been thrown over a wide distance.

Read more ›