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Volcano wipes out 3 villages in Ecuador - Mt. Tungurahua
WPVI-TV ^ | 8/17/06 | AP

Posted on 08/17/2006 11:39:49 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

QUITO, Ecuador - August 17, 2006 - A volcanic eruption in Ecuador's Andes mountains destroyed three villages, killed at least one man and left more than 60 others missing, the mayor of a village on the volcano's slope said Thursday.

One body was recovered after the overnight eruption of lava from Tungurahua, in the country's high Andes, and four others were believed to be under the rubble, Penipe Mayor Juan Salazar said. Salazar told Channel 4 television that the villages of Chilibu, Choglontuz and Palitagua "no longer exist. Everything is wiped out."

"This is an indescribable catastrophe," Salazar said. "The houses have collapsed. The rocks that fell caused injuries and burns in the city of Riobamba and in Penipe."

Salazar said there were 60 other people on the high flanks of the volcano whom officials could not get to Thursday morning.

Choglontuz, Penipe and another village were ordered evacuated on Wednesday hours before the 16,575-foot volcano unleashed gas and ash some 5 miles into the sky, according to a report by Ecuador's Geophysics Institute.

Salazar said 3,200 people were evacuated Wednesday from the three communities. He did not say how many remained in the villages.

Dr. Hernan Ayala told Channel 4 TV that about 50 people from Penipe were treated at a medical center in Riobamba for burns caused by "lava flows and incandescent rocks that burned them as they tried to flee."

"They were also burned by vapor and the elevated heat in the zone. It was a scene of chaos, a Dantesque situation," he said. "There are six whom we consider the most grave, one of them with burns over 85 percent of the body."

The death reported Thursday was the first reported from a Tungurahua eruption since the volcano rumbled back to life in 1999 after staying dormant for eight decades.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: ecuador; environment; latinamerica; mayon; ringoffire; tungurahua; volcano

AP PHOTO

An Ecuadorian walks over lava from the Tunguraahua volcano in Banos, Ecuador, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006.

1 posted on 08/17/2006 11:39:51 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

A graphic on the Tungurahua volcano. At least five people died, dozens were missing and 13 others were injured after southern Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano spewed molten rock and ash, burying four villages, a mayor said.(AFP Graphic)

2 posted on 08/17/2006 11:40:43 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge

I think the volcano is winning. :-P


3 posted on 08/17/2006 11:40:46 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: NormsRevenge

This handout photo provided the Instituto Geofisico of Ecuador shows a view of an explosion of the Tungurahua Volcano as seen Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. The volcanic eruption in Ecuador's Andes mountains killed at least one person and left more than 60 others missing, the mayor of a village on the volcano's slope said Thursday. (AP Photo/ Instituto Geofisico EPN, HO)

4 posted on 08/17/2006 11:41:34 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge
Meanwhile, in the Philippines..

Lava cascades down the side of Mayon volcano near Legazpi City, south of Manila, August 17, 2006. REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo (PHILIPPINES)


A significant volume of lava flows down the slopes of Mayon volcano as seen from the northeast side of Buyoan, Legazpi city, Albay province southeast of Manila, Philippines at dawn Thursday Aug. 17, 2006. Mayon continues its restiveness with scientists recording five explosions overnight, 21 volcanic earthquakes and a sudden increase of Sulfur Dioxide emission to 8,086 tons compared to 2,900 tons the previous day and indicating 'active magma degassing.' More than 40,000 residents around the volcano's 6-kilometer permanent danger zone are now taking shelter in various schools in Albay province. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

5 posted on 08/17/2006 11:43:45 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge

Do not meddle in the affairs of volcanoes, for they are not subtle--and quick to erupt.


6 posted on 08/17/2006 11:45:49 AM PDT by sourcery (A libertarian is a conservative who has been mugged ...by his own government)
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Active Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics, "Hot Spots" and the "Ring of Fire"


7 posted on 08/17/2006 11:46:10 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: sourcery

You can outrun the lava, but you can't outrun the pyroclastic flow?


8 posted on 08/17/2006 11:47:53 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Gee. Good thing that eruption didn't spew any pollution into the atmosphere to cause more global warming. < /sarcasm>


9 posted on 08/17/2006 11:51:45 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (The media and the democrats are the biggest supporters of the terrorists.)
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To: Spktyr

"You can outrun the lava, but you can't outrun the pyroclastic flow? "

That's pretty much it. Lava is a thick liquid and flows rather slowly. A pyroclastic eruption is just fine dust and small rocks which are superheated and airborne. Very fast-moving. Impossible to outrun, even in a fast vehicle.


10 posted on 08/17/2006 11:52:10 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: Arrowhead1952

Has Karl Rove been blamed by Howard Dean and the mediacRats yet for this latest eruption? He has branched out beyond hurricanes and tsunamis, yaknow. :)


11 posted on 08/17/2006 11:54:22 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: Spktyr

pyroclastic flows are difficult to outrun, as they can exceed 200mph
that why one evacuates BEFORE the eruption


12 posted on 08/17/2006 11:55:58 AM PDT by verum ago (Proper foreign policy makes loud noises.)
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To: MineralMan

I guess you didn't get the reference to the old saw about running from the cops...


13 posted on 08/17/2006 11:57:20 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Arrowhead1952

Send in Al Gore to stop it....its polutting and ruining his global warming theory.....


14 posted on 08/17/2006 11:59:30 AM PDT by Youngman442002
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To: Spktyr

I guess not. No harm done, though.


15 posted on 08/17/2006 12:00:34 PM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
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To: NormsRevenge

Somebody set them up the volcano. They get lava.


16 posted on 08/17/2006 12:05:23 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Christ. Those poor people. 85% burns must be unbearable.


17 posted on 08/17/2006 12:09:13 PM PDT by agere_contra
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To: NormsRevenge; Youngman442002

Since our servers block the DUmp at work, I can't tell who the Deaniacs are blaming for this. I imagine they think Karl Rove has several machines to change the news as needed.


18 posted on 08/17/2006 12:14:53 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (The media and the democrats are the biggest supporters of the terrorists.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Ecuador!!!


19 posted on 08/17/2006 12:24:44 PM PDT by tupac (Coulda been West Virginia!)
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To: Arrowhead1952
Gee. Good thing that eruption didn't spew any pollution into the atmosphere to cause more global warming. < /sarcasm>

Well, for about the 50 billionth time, I'll have to point out yet again that the primary effect of the "pollution" from volcanoes is to COOL the earth, not warm it. Volcanoes DO produce some greenhouse gases like CO2, but their effect overwhelmed by the cooling gases, like Sulfur Dioxide, which forms a haze of Sulfuric Acid that blocks sunlight.

And even the CO2 that volcanoes produce per year is less than 1/150th the amounts humans put into the atmosphere per year

Not that this eruption would have much climate effect at all - on a global scale, it wasn't very big. The problem is these people living in villages RIGHT NEXT to the volcano.

20 posted on 08/17/2006 12:29:44 PM PDT by Strategerist
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