Mount Ibu Erupts Again, Lontarkan Lava Pijar As High As 700 Meters

JAKARTA - Mount Ibu Volcano Observation Post (PGA) in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Sunday (29/12) night, reported that the mountain erupted again by launching incandescent lava as high as 700 meters above the top of the mountain.

"Yes, it erupted by launching incandescent lava," said PGA Ibu Post officer in West Halmahera Regency, Richard Chaniago when contacted from Ternate, Sunday.

The eruption of Mount Ibu was accompanied by a height of ash column which was observed as high as 3,000 meters above the peak and a column of ash was observed to be gray with thick intensity leaning towards the northeast.

He explained that this eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a duration of approximately 1 minute 58 seconds from the PGA Ibu Post in Gam Ici Village, Ibu District.

"Currently, the condition of Mount Ibu is at Level III or Alert," he said, quoted by Antara.

Therefore, he said, people around Mount Ibu and tourists are asked not to move within a 4 kilometer radius and the sectoral expansion is 5.5 kilometers to the crater opening in the north of the active crater of the mountain.

"If ash rains, people who are active outside the home are advised to wear masks or glasses to avoid exposure to the mountain ash," he said.

PGA Ibu Post Officers hope that all parties, in order to maintain the conduciveness of the atmosphere in the community, not to spread false narratives (hoaxes), and not to be provoked by issues whose sources are unclear and at the same time ask the public to always follow directions from the Regional Government.

The West Halmahera Regency Government should always coordinate with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in Bandung or with the Mount Ibu Observation Post in Gam Ici Village to get direct information about the volcanic activity.