Mount Ibu Eruption, West Halmahera Regency Government Prepares Refugee Locations

JAKARTA - The Regency Government (Pemkab) of West Halmahera, North Maluku, has deployed a team and prepared a refugee location in Gam Ici Village. This is to help residents affected by the eruption of Mount Ibu.

Deputy Regent of West Halmahera Regency, Djufri Muhammad, said the intensity of Mount Ibu increased which caused residents to panic.

"So that the West Halmahera Regency Government through the local BPBD together with the TNI/Polri have taken steps ranging from education related to handling the Mount Ibu eruption disaster to preparing evacuation locations for victims of the eruption," he said, quoting Antara.

Currently, his party has distributed masks to residents affected by the eruption of Mount Ibu, although volcanic ash has little impact on residential areas, because the wind blows to the east.

"West Halmahera Regency Government has taken alert, starting from preparing tents at evacuation points and various needs for residents of victims of the eruption of Mount Ibu," he said.

Mount Ibu is still on alert status. However, residents are advised to be vigilant and not to move around the mountain. The eruption of Mount Ibu creates a natural phenomenon in the form of thunderstorms along with the ejection of incandescent lava and volcanic ash coming out of the crater of the volcano.

Meanwhile, Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) Hendra Gunawan said the eruption that occurred on Saturday (11/5) at 00.24 WIT resulted in a column of ash as high as four kilometers.

"Because the incandescent lava is approximately 800 meters high above the peak," he said.

Hendra said the column of volcanic ash was gray with thick intensity leading north and northwest. The eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 millimeters and a temporary duration of 6 minutes 27 seconds.

Meanwhile, the incandescent lava fell up to 1,000 meters below the crater's edge. The sound of a bang and roar that arised from the eruption was heard to the observation post of Mount Ibu.

Volcanic lightning storms created when the eruption arises due to high temperatures that heat the gas ions. This situation then caused a jump in the electric load.

Hendra said there were no casualties in the eruption that occurred this morning.

"The village is outside the recommendations of the Geological Agency. The incandescent lava is estimated to be approximately 1 kilometer from the eruption center and the eruption column is approximately 4,000 meters," he said.

Mount Ibu, which has a height of 1,325 meters above sea level (masl), is now on Alert status, Level III, since May 8, 2024. PVMBG has increased its status of the strato-type volcano due to increased volcanic activity and seismicity.

On April 16 to May 8, 2024, seismic activity recorded on Mount Ibu was 130 eruptions, 8 avalanches earthquakes, 1,445 gusts, 53 harmonic earthquakes, 9 tornillo earthquakes, 6,742 shallow volcanic earthquakes, 116 deep volcanic earthquakes, 15 local tectonic earthquakes, 231 distant tectonic earthquakes, and 1 earthquake was felt.

Previously, ash rains hit several villages in the western part of Mount Ibu, including Ake Boso Village, Naga Village, Kie Ici Village, Maritango Village, Tongute Goin Village, Tongute Sungi Village, Soamana Sungi Village, Akesibu Village, Gam Ici Village, Kampung Baru Village, Gamlamo Village, Tongute Ternate Origin, Tongute Ternate Village, Tahafo Village, Togola Sanger Village, and Togola Wayoli Village, Ibu District.