INDONESIA’S MOUNT MARAPI ERUPTS, SPEWING ASH OVER PARTS OF WEST SUMATRA

JAKARTA, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupted early Tuesday, spewing volcanic ash over parts of West Sumatra and prompting authorities to warn residents and visitors to steer clear of the area and avoid any activity within three kilometres of the main crater, known as Verbeek.

The eruption, which occurred at 3.52 am local time, was recorded by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation with a maximum seismic amplitude of 30.4 millimetres and a duration of one minute and 11 seconds.

Thick fog limited visibility around the crater, but ash drifted northeast over Batu Palano in Agam district, where conditions had eased by 9 am, although streets and houses remained coated in ash.

“Fog still covers the crater area and light ash rain has eased. However, ash on the roads can easily become airborne again when vehicles pass,” said the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari in a statement.

Authorities have urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary and have distributed face masks to help prevent respiratory problems.

People living near rivers that rise on the volcano’s slopes were also warned to watch for possible lahar flows, which are fast-moving mudslides formed from volcanic ash, rock and rainwater.

Mount Marapi remains at Level II, or ‘Alert’ status, which is the second of four levels on Indonesia’s volcano alert system, indicating elevated activity above normal levels but no imminent threat of a major eruption.

Signs of magmatic or hydrothermal disturbance have been detected, but the risk remains confined to the crater area, where toxic gases may still pose a hazard, Abdul Muhari added.

Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes, last erupted in December 2023, killing more than 20 climbers.

-- BERNAMA