Indonesia raises alert level at volcano, orders evacuation

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (AP): Indonesia warned Tuesday that one of its most deadly volcanos was poised to erupt and ordered villagers on the mountain's slopes to evacuate.

Mount Kelud, which has been rumbling for weeks, was placed on the highest alert level, meaning scientists believe a major eruption is imminent, said a posting on the government-run volcanology center Web site.

The status requires local authorities to evacuate people living on the slopes.

Kristianto, a scientist monitoring Kelud, told Metro TV that all people living within 10 kilometers of the peak must evacuate. Kristianto goes by a single name.