the death toll low. Most of the buildings in the southeastern half of Rabaul collapsed due to the weight of ash on their roofs.
The last eruption prompted the relocation of the provincial capital to Kokopo, the former German Herbertsh�he. Nonetheless, Rabaul is slowly rebuilding in the danger zone. Vulcan has remained dormant since the eruption, while small-scale eruptions from Tavurvur occur intermittently. A government volcano observatory is maintained in the northern portion of Rabaul. It also has responsibility for monitoring the other volcanoes on New Britain and nearby islands in addition to the Rabaul caldera
