Eruption of a Volcano in Kamchatka Continues

The eruption of the Shiveluch volcano in Kamchatka (the Russian Far East) put land communication between Petropavlovsk and the Usk-Kamchatski district into immediate jeopardy.

As RIA Novosti was told in the Kamchatka experimental-methodological seismological party on Thursday, in the past few weeks Shiveluch has been extremely active. The seismic stations register broken volcanic vibration in the cupola area. Gas and ash outbursts over the crater rise at times to a height of up to 5,000 metres. Descents of fragment avalanches are registered.

The information from satellites shows thermal anomalies.

Mud flows come down off the slopes of the volcano.

According to head of the Ust-Kamchatski district Boris Nevzorov, the thawing of the snow on the warmed cupola of the volcano had caused a flood of the Bekesh river. The level of water has come close to the sole bridge linking the banks.

If the bridge is washed down the Ust-Kamchatski district will be left without land communication between it and the Regional centre for 2-3 months.

This, in turn, can become a serious obstacle to the preparation for the 2003 salmon-catching season.