Mount Ibu Erupted 2 Times, Spitting 500 Meters of Ash

JAKARTA - Mount Ibu in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku (Malut) has erupted twice with a column of ash at the second eruption reaching about 500 meters on Monday, March 2.

Acting Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Lana Saria in a statement quoted by Antara on Monday said the first eruption occurred at 13.55 WIT, but the height of the ash column was not observed. The event was recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a duration of about 43 seconds.

The second eruption occurred at 15.05 WIT with the height of the ash column observed at around 500 meters above the peak or approximately 1,825 meters above sea level.

The ash column in the second eruption was observed to be gray in color with a thick intensity and inclined towards the southeast. The eruption was also recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a duration of about 47 seconds.

Currently, Mount Ibu is at Level II (Alert) status.

The Geological Agency recommends that people around the mountain and visitors or tourists do not carry out activities within a radius of 2 kilometers from the active crater, as well as in the sectoral expansion of 3.5 kilometers towards the crater opening in the north.

If there is ash rain, people who are outside the house are advised to use nose and mouth protectors in the form of masks and eye protection to reduce the risk of health problems.

The Geological Agency also appealed to all parties to maintain a conducive situation, not to spread false information, and to follow the instructions of the local government.

The West Halmahera Regency Government is asked to continue to coordinate with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in Bandung and the Ibu Mountain Observation Post in Gam Ici to obtain the latest information related to the mountain's activity.