Mount Ile Werung Underwater Volcano Erupts, Public Asked To Be Alert

Illustration of a volcanic eruption. ANTARA/Ho-Creative Commons cc0.

KUPANG - The Center for Volcanology, Mitigation, Disaster, and Geology (PVBMG) stated that a tsunami could occur in several villages around the foot of Mount Ile Werung if an underwater volcano called Mount Hobal erupted with great force.

"The impact of a tsunami or not depends on how strong or high the eruption is", said a volcano observer from the Ile Werung volcano monitoring post, Wilson Wuri Wutun, when contacted from Kupang, Monday, November 29.

This was conveyed by him related to the eruption and boasting of an underwater volcano which according to residents' beliefs is the son of Mount Ile Werung.

Now there are about nine villages in Atadei District that are close to the underwater volcano or Mount Hobal.

The nine villages include Dlir, Knotan, Kahatawa, Mulandoro, Leworaja, Atakera, Luki, and Wulandoni villages and Lamalera villages. "We, together with the regional government, have coordinated to remind residents to always be vigilant", he added.

Wilson explained that considering the eruptive activity at the Hobal volcano is a manifestation of the activity of the Ile Werung volcano, the activity level of Ile Werung was raised from Level one or normal to Level two or alert.

"This has been calculated since 10:00 WITA this morning", he said as reported by Antara.

The Hobal Volcano itself is about two kilometers from Mount Ile Werung towards the sea. The enormity of the eruption of Mount Hobal occurred in 1979 which obliterated the peak of the mountain's crater.

PVBMG recommends for the time being the community to avoid activities around the coast around the boasting location area and to avoid sailing or fishing around the area to anticipate potential changes in sea level rise.

"PVMBG continues to monitor and evaluate the activities of the Ile Werung Volcano complex and coordinate with the local BPBD to conduct socialization", he added.