Thick Ash Soars As High As 2000 Meters From Mother's Mountain Activities In West Halmahera

Thick ash of Mount Api Ibu (Doc. ANTARA)

MALUT - There was volcanic activity from the report of the Mother's Volcano Observation Post in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province on Sunday, December 22. It was reported that the volcano spewed thick ash as high as 2,000 meters at around 18.35 WIT.

PGA Ibu Post Officer in West Halmahera Regency Richard Chaniago in a written statement in Ternate, Sunday, said his party had recorded two eruptions with varying ash column heights.

The first eruption was 1,200 meters high at around 17.11 WIT followed by a second eruption with an altitude of 2,000 meters with a column of thick ash above the top of the mountain.

The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity leaning towards northeast and east, and this eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a temporary duration of approximately 3 minutes 28 seconds.

"The eruption of Mount Ibu is still ongoing when a report is being made at the PGA Ibu Post in Gam Ici Village, Ibu District," he quoted ANTARA as saying, December 22.

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, he asked the community around Mount Ibu and tourists not to move within a 4 kilometer radius and to expand sectorally to a distance of 5.5 kilometers to the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater of the mountain.

"If ash rains, people who are active outside the home are advised to wear masks or glasses to avoid exposure to the mountain ash," he said.

PGA Ibu Post Officers hope that all parties will maintain conduciveness in the community by not spreading false narratives (hoaxes), and not being provoked by issues whose sources are unclear and at the same time asking the public to always follow directions from local governments.

The West Halmahera Regency Government should always coordinate with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in Bandung or with the Mount Ibu Observation Post in Gam Ici Village to get direct information about the volcanic activity.