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People stay at home, in need of masks
It was indeed a black Valentineâs Day for people in Central Java and Yogyakarta as they received a shocking âgiftâ from the sky in the form of volcanic ash
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Eerily quiet: A major junction in Surakarta, Central Java, is practically deserted as shops and offices were closed on Friday as volcanic ash rained down in the cultural city and much of Java. (JP/Ganug Nugroho) (JP/Ganug Nugroho)
It was indeed a black Valentine's Day for people in Central Java and Yogyakarta as they received a shocking 'gift' from the sky in the form of volcanic ash.
The rumbling sounds of the volcano on Thursday night woke up Yogyakarta residents and caused panic among them. People ran out of their houses and gathered on the streets as they sensed danger.
'We thought there was something wrong with Mount Merapi. So we all got out of our houses,' said Nurhadi, a Sleman resident.
A few hours later, they witnessed a heavy shower of volcanic ash, which forced them to stay behind closed doors. Students were also sent home out of fears that the ash could trigger acute respiratory ailments and cause other diseases.
Volcanic ash from Mt. Kelud's eruption not only paralyzed cities in East Java, but also Yogyakarta and a number of cities in Central Java including Semarang, Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Wonogiri, Sragen and Klaten which are located around 240 kilometers away from the epicenter of the eruption on Friday.
The volcanic ash began falling over the cities as early as 2 a.m., covering areas with ash layers of up to two centimeters.
In Yogyakarta, the famous tourist destination of Malioboro Street and some traditional markets were deserted.
'Yogyakarta people did not expect this to happen at all. They were not prepared. They did not have masks or glasses to protect themselves from the volcanic ash shower,' Yogyakarta Provincial Education Youth and Sport Agency head Baskara Aji said.
Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Surakarta Health Agency officials told citizens to obtain masks from their nearest health center. Surakarta Red Cross (PMI) also distributed masks in the area. 'Follow the government's reports; citizens have no need to panic,' Sri Sultan said.
The ash has also killed fish in dozens of ponds in Prambanan, Yogyakarta, damaging the livelihoods of fish farmers.
People were seen flocking to drug stores to buy dust masks, which soon sold out, inspiring instant traders to offer masks at some of the city's crossroads.
Similar scenes occurred in Semarang, Central Java, where many drug stores said they were running out of dust masks as people continued to purchase them in large numbers for protection against the ash that continued to rain down from Mt. Kelud.
'We are now running out of stock as people have been buying masks since this morning,' Ani, an employee at Karangrejo drugstore in Semarang, said on Friday.
Murtiyati, a resident of Pedurungan, had already bought dust masks for herself and her children. Andriyanto, another resident, said the thick ash could have damaging effects on one's respiratory system if a dust mask was not used.
'I learned from the Mt. Merapi eruption a few years ago that you should not underestimate the effects of thick ash,' Andriyanto said.
In Surakarta, Central Java, the city health agency and local Red Cross provided free masks for residents at community health clinic (puskesmas).
Separately, head of the Center for Research and Technology Development of Geologic Disaster (BPPTKG) in Yogyakarta, Subandriyo, said that volcanic ash had overwhelmingly covered the cities because the scale of Mt. Kelud's eruption proved to be greater than Mt. Merapi's eruption in 2010.
