Indonesia: Volcano poses risk to villagers

INDONESIAN officials have warned people to stay more than a mile away from two craters on a smoking volcano spewing noxious gas.

Government volcanologist Surono says visitors and villagers have been told to stay away from the yellow craters on the 8,743ft Mount Papandayan. The craters are tourist attractions but are now emitting dangerous hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide gases.

Surono said that authorities raised the volcano's alert to the second-highest level.

Papandayan, in West Java province, is one of Indonesia's most popular peaks to climb. Indonesia lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.