‘Airmageddon’ in Indonesia

Military plane crashes in Medan, Indonesia, killing scores of people

All 113 people on board an Indonesian military transport plane that crashed Tuesday in a major city on the Indonesian island of Sumatra are believed to have been killed, according to the country’s air force chief.

The Hercules C-130 crashed into two houses and a hotel before bursting into flames in a residential area of Medan city [metro pop: ~ 5 million,] according to the chief.

The number of casualties on the ground has not yet been established.

Medan is the capital of the North Sumatra province, and is the fourth largest city in Indonesia.

Mandala Airlines Flight 091

On 5 September 2005, Mandala Airlines Flight 091 crashed into a populated area of Medan shortly after take-off from the city’s airport, killing 149, including 49 people on the ground. Additionally, some of the 17 people on board the plane who survived the crash, and 26 others on the ground who were injured, are believed to have since died as a result of their injuries.

Volcanic Vent at Owakudani Valley near Tokyo Erupts

Mt. Hakone erupts spewing ash and steam

A “minor volcanic eruption” has occurred at Mt Hakone near Tokyo starting Monday night through Tuesday, according to officials.

Fresh layers of volcanic ash were discovered Tuesday morning around a newly-formed vent in the Owakudani valley, which forms part of the Mount Hakone range (Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park) located in Kanagawa prefecture.

Volcanic tremors have been shaking the Hakone mountain since Monday morning, officials said, warning nearby residents that the volcano could eject sizable rocks to a radius of about one kilometer and smaller rocks even further.

The warning level on the Hakone was  raised to level 3 [“Do not approach the volcano,”] at 12:30 JST today [June 30,  2015.]

The volcano has been ejecting steam over the past few months.

Mt Hakone is located about 80 km SW of central Tokyo. More than 45 million people live within a 100-km radius of the volcano according to FIRE-EARTH Population Models.

Strong Quake Strikes New Britain, PNG

M6.0 quake strikes East New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Centered at 5.452°S, 151.601°E the quake occurred at a depth of about 35km, USGS/EHP reported.

Distances:

• 142km (88mi) SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
• 161km (100mi) E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
• 330km (205mi) SSE of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea
• 443km (275mi) W of Arawa, Papua New Guinea
• 657km (408mi) NE of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea