NGANCAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesia remained on high alert on Thursday for a possible eruption of a rumbling volcano in eastern Java, but many residents near Mount Kelud refused to leave their homes despite an order to evacuate.
Ramlee
The alert on the volcano, one of Indonesia's deadliest and located 90 km (55 miles) southwest of its second-largest city, Surabaya, was raised to maximum late on Tuesday, meaning it could erupt within 24 hours.
Authorities had ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from a 10-km (6-mile) zone near the 1,731-metre (5,712-foot) volcano.
But many locals have refused to go, reluctant to leave possessions untended and complaining about inadequate food and shelter provided in safer zones.
"Why should I evacuate? We were not tended to yesterday, why would it be any different today?," said Mariyatun, a resident from the village of Sugihwaras.
Sugihwaras, located 7 km from the crater, suffered major losses during an eruption in 1990. More than a hundred of its residents died and lava destroyed much of the village.
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