SIDOARJO, 27 February 2007 - The plan to drop giant concrete balls into the still active mud volcano to slow it's flow may be changed after these balls slid far deeper than expected, Rudi Novrianto, a spokesman said earlier today. The balls slid as far as one kilometer into the crater, roughly twice as deep as expected. Many more of these concrete balls were required to slow down the mud flow now.

"Based on our monitoring of Monday's operations, we may later decide to add to the number of ball chains, but the decision will only be made once the initial target of 374 chains have been dropped into the mud hole," he said. Every chain contains four concrete balls weighing between 400 and 500 kilograms. Five chains have been dropped into the crater yesterday alone.

The experimental plan aims to flow down the toxic mud flow - which has submerged entire villages and factories south of Surabaya since it started last May. Head of the team trying to plug the volcano, Basuki Hadimuljono, was quoted as saying that the number of balls required may now be as high as 1,000, up from less than 400 in earlier estimations.

Novrianto said more balls were to be dropped into the crater later today. "The weather is favorable, but so far we have not yet begun resuming the operations," he said.

  21 November 2008 · Indonesia to plant 100 million trees this year
  20 November 2008 · Indonesia corruption watchdog to work with FBI
  19 November 2008 · Tiny primate rediscovered on Sulawesi
  18 November 2008 · Quicker opening of Jakarta airport toll road
  17 November 2008 · More executions likely to follow in Indonesia
  17 November 2008 · Powerful earthquake hits Minahasa, Sulawesi
  16 November 2008 · Bali water supply endangered by shrinking Lake Batur
  16 November 2008 · Bali police chief 'needs to' enforce new anti-pornography law
  15 November 2008 · Landslide kills ten in West Java province
  14 November 2008 · Rihanna cancels concert in Indonesia amid safety concerns