A volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea has displaced over 13,000 people

Thousands of people have been evacuated last week as the Mt Ulawun volcano erupted (Wednesday the 26th). Troops have been sent to help thousands of people displaced by a volcanic eruption on a remote archipelago in Papua New Guinea, as a second volcano erupted occurs just days after the eruption of Mount Ulawun.

A state of emergency has been declared as one of the world’s most hazardous volcanoes, Mt Ulawun, flows lava and ash. Witnesses said lava had cut off the main highway in the north of the island.

Local MP Joseph Lelang said as many as 13,000 people may have been displaced and 1000 have lost their homes, while Leo Porikura, an official with the West New Britain Disaster Office, put the number of displaced at around 7000.

“Our focus now is providing relief supplies to the people affected by the volcanic eruption,” he said. 

Mt Ulawun, on the remote Bismarck Archipelago chain, is listed as one of 16 “Decade Volcanoes” targeted for research because they pose a significant risk of large violent eruptions. Japanese satellite imagery and sources on the ground had shown sulphur dioxide and now volcanic ash drifting from the crater.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/papua-new-guinea-deploys-army-after-major-volcanic-eruption