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CCNTV6
  • 2 years ago
Residents of Piparo are extra vigilant as a nearby mud volcano has been shooting up mud and emitting gas much more than usual.

Experts have warned against people venturing near the site, pending further monitoring of the site.

Reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh was in Piparo on Thursday to bring you this story.
Transcript
00:00 The Piparo Mud Volcano has been showing signs of increased activity, frequent blasts of
00:11 mud and loud hissing of gas.
00:15 Known for a major eruption in February 1997 which covered three homes and displaced more
00:22 than 100 people, the volcano continues to keep its neighbours tense with unease over
00:28 whether or not a repeat will occur.
00:31 "We are in Piparo next to the mud volcano.
00:35 Around yesterday lunchtime we started hearing noises coming from the volcano at an increased
00:40 rate.
00:41 This morning we realised that the whole back structure had moved an additional approximately
00:46 one foot to the left.
00:50 The noise continued the whole night last night until now."
00:55 Fidel Solomon and his family, like many of the others in the immediate vicinity, are
01:01 keeping a close eye on the situation and advisedly so.
01:09 Geologist Xavier Munan confirms the activity has significantly increased with mud blasting
01:16 as high as 20 feet sometimes.
01:18 "There is a noticeable, like I said, very noticeable amount of gas coming off from the
01:23 mud volcano.
01:24 This is more than normal, more than we've seen even in 2019.
01:31 As such, my recommendation would be that people stay away from the mud volcano itself.
01:36 Stay a fair distance away.
01:38 You can see it and you can hear it from quite a distance still.
01:42 But the area will need to be cordoned off because of the amount of gas coming out from
01:47 it, at least until the activity dissipates a bit."
01:52 Mr Munan says normal activity at this location is the spewing of mud once per day.
01:58 As of midday on Thursday, it's been spewing mud out of the main vent once every 70 seconds.
02:08 Up until midday on Thursday, there were no barriers stopping people from walking straight
02:13 up to the active site.
02:15 But Munan warns it's not advisable.
02:18 "This is natural gas.
02:20 It does have small amounts of H2S within it, but it's predominantly natural gas, which
02:31 is flammable.
02:34 As such, you don't want people around here potentially triggering that to explode."
02:46 Cindy Raghuban Tikasingh, TV6 News.
02:49 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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