Mount Marapi Erupsi Again, Lontarkan Abu Volcanic As High As 1,000 Meters

PADANG - Mount Marapi in Agam and Tanah Datar Regencies, West Sumatra (West Sumatra) erupted again by throwing volcanic ash as high as 1,000 meters above the top of the mountain.

"There was an eruption of Mount Marapi at 16.04 WIB with a column height of ash being observed about 1,000 meters above the top of the mountain," said Mount Fire Post (PGA) officer Gunung Marapi Teguh as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, April 2.

He said the column of volcanic ash was gray with thick intensity leaning towards the east. The eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 30.3 millimeters and a duration of about 39 seconds.

On Wednesday, at 06.25 WIB, the volcano erupted with a column height of about 350 meters above the top of the mountain. The record of the eruption Volcano Post is about 57 seconds long with an amplitude of 1.6 millimeters.

Another PGAGunung Marapi officer, Ahmad Rifandi, reminded the public to always comply with all recommendations issued by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG).

"We urge the public to comply with all recommendations issued by PVMBG," he said.

He emphasized that no community should try to climb Mount Marapi considering that currently it is still in a condition of Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri holiday.

The West Sumatra BKSDA together with the Agam Regency Government and Tanah Datar agreed to close the hiking trail to the volcano.

Referring to PVMBG data, Mount Marapi's volcanic activity is at level II or alert. With this status, PVMBG issued a number of recommendations, including the community, climbers, or visitors being asked not to enter or carry out activities in an area with a radius of three kilometers from the eruption center (Kawah Verbeek) of Mount Marapi.

PVMBG also urges people living around valleys, rivers or banks whose water originates at the top of Mount Marapi to always be aware of the potential threat of rain lava floods that can occur, especially during the rainy season.