Challenge in Papua New Guinea getting eruption warnings to victims
Papua New Guinea's Rabaul Volcano Observatory is highlighting the challenges in getting warnings through to affected communities.
The observatory's assistant director Ima Itikarai said in the case of this week's eruption on Manam Island they passed information on to the Madang Provincial administration, but he said getting it to isolated Manam was difficult.
People were warned to avoid the island's four main valleys due to the risk of pyroclastic flow and mud slides.
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He said if monitoring equipment indicated a severe eruption it would be difficult to get a timely warning to Manam.
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