Mount Ibu In North Maluku Is Back In Eruption, Vomitting Abu As High As 400 Meters

MALUT - Mount Ibu in North Maluku (Malut) erupted again by ejecting volcanic ash as high as 400 meters above the top of the mountain, on Sunday, April 20, at around 09.25 WIT.

"Yes, the eruption with a column of ash was observed as high as 400 meters," said the officer of the Volcano Observation Post (PPGA) Ibu in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku, Iskandar Hi Abdulbar in a written statement on Sunday, April 20, which was confiscated by Antara.

The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity leaning towards the north and this eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a duration of 55 seconds.

He explained that currently the condition of the volcano as high as 1,325 meters above sea level is still at Level III or Alert.

Therefore, the people around Mount Ibu and visitors or tourists, should not move within a 4 kilometer radius and the sectoral expansion is 5 kilometers to the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater of the volcano.

"If there is ash rain, people who are active outside the home are advised to use a nose, mouth (mask) and eyes (glasses)," he said.

All parties, in order to maintain the conduciveness of the atmosphere in society, do not spread false narratives (hoaxes) and are not provoked by issues whose sources are unclear.

"The public is asked to always follow directions from the regional government," said Iskandar.

He appealed to the West Halmahera Regency Government to always coordinate with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation in Bandung or with the Mount Ibu Observation Post which feels in Gam Ici Village, to get direct information about the activities of Mount Ibu.