Papua New Guinea: Evacuation of Blup Blup Island January 14 as Kadovar volcano erupts /update 1

Event

The eruption of the Kadovar Island volcano in East Sepik province has led the government to evacuate the nearby island of Blup Blup on Sunday, January 14. After venting ash since January 5, the volcano exploded a week later, reportedly emitting red rocks and sulphur dioxide. The 590 residents of Kadovar Island had already been evacuated to Blup Blup from January 7.

The volcano, previously thought to be dormant, has sent a plume of steam clouds into the air approximately 0.6 km (0.4 mi) above sea level. A change in wind direction could result in volcanic ash clouds causing disruption to PNG’s Wewak airport (WWK). There government has also warned of the risk of further eruption resulting in associated tsunamis and landslides.

Advice

Individuals present in or intending to travel to the affected areas are advised to monitor the situation and follow any instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders).