Eruption Again, Mount Marapi Lontarkan Batu Api

Mount Marapi (Photo: dock. Antara/HO-BPBD Agam)

JAKARTA - Mount Marapi in West Sumatra experienced another eruption on Saturday morning, January 13. Mount as high as 2,891 meters above sea level emitted a crashing and rumbling sound and threw stones.

"Saya dan Tim Siaga Marapi menginap di masjid kampung sejauh lima kilometer dari puncak saat Marapi menggelus. Saya dan warga lain melihat jelas adanya Loncaran batu dari puncak," kata seorang pewarta, Iggoy el Fitra (43) mengutip Antara.Iggoy dengan beberapa orang relawan dari TNI-Polri dan BPBD berada di Jorong Batang Silasiah, Desa Bukit Batabuah, Kabupaten Agam yang menjadi salah satu lokasi pembangan Posko Siaga Marapi.

He said that when the eruption sounded loud bangs a few seconds and the glow of ari lights from the ejection of the fire could be seen with the naked eye. "Villages such as bombs woke up almost all volunteers and local residents. The reddening light was clearly visible around the peak for up to one minute, then it went out again," he said., before the eruption occurred in the early hours of the morning, several residents had fled to a location further, because they were afraid of the roar that was often heard. "The roar was often heard even though Marapi did not erupt. Two of our families saw self-evacuation to the house of his relatives who were farther away from the distance of five kilometers they were scared," said Iggoy., Volcano Monitoring Officer (PGA) Marapi, Teguh Purnomo confirmed the presence of lava material that came out of Marapi's eruption on Saturday morning. "Yes, lava was emitted, the eruption with a column height of ash was not observed. This eruption was recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 30.3 mm and a temporary duration of 34 seconds," he said.

However, he did not provide further information regarding lava or lava coming out of Marapi crater as well as its direction and distance. PGA noted that from early December 2023 to Saturday (13/1) morning there was an eruption of Mount Marapi as many as 123 eruptions and 655 gusts. Currently, Mount Marapi is at Level III (standby) status with the recommendation that people are prohibited from entering and not carrying out activities within a radius of 4.5 kilometers from the eruption center (verbeek area).