Balls Finally Dropped Into Mud Volcano

Indonesian physicists have started deploying chains of concrete balls in an attempt to stem the flow of mud in East Java.

For nine months Indonesian officials have been reacting to the torrent of mud that started erupting from a rice paddy in the village of Porong, East Java, with embankments and evacuations. This weekend they began experimenting with a new strategy for controlling the flow.

The hope is that by dropping 300-400-kilogram concrete balls, connected by chains, into the volcano's mouth they can stem the torrent of mud that has so far covered some 450 hectares of land and submerged four villages. Disaster management officials fear thousands more are at risk.