Residents Asked To Beware Of Material Overflow From Mount Ile Lewotolok Eruption

Eruption material in the crater of Mount Ile Lewotolok, Institutional District, East Nusa Tenggara. ANTARA/HO-PVMBG and the Nature Lovers Community

KUPANG - The Ile Lewotolok Volcano Monitoring Post in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) reminded local residents to be aware of the overflow of eruptive material from the volcanic peak area to avoid casualties.

"Currently, because the crater at the top of the mountain is wide enough so that the material is still being accommodated. However, if it is full and the same height as the top of the mountain, it will overflow," said Head of Ile Lewotolok Volcano Monitoring Post, Stanis Arakian, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, June 8. .

He said the eruption material in the crater of Mount Ile Lewotolok on Lembata Island was increasing with worrying conditions.

Until now, he said, only about 3-5 meters of eruption material in the crater of the mountain overflowed if there was a gap in the peak area of Mount Ile Lewotolok.

Several villages are prone to material overflow if the intensity of the volcanic eruption increases, such as the villages of Lewotolok, Bungamuda, Waowala, and Riangbao.

Therefore, he said, people in a number of villages need to increase their vigilance.

Local governments are also advised to socialize these conditions, so that the community knows and realizes the importance of evacuating if something unexpected happens.

"If stability at the top of the mountain is disturbed, it is feared that landslides will occur from the top of the mountain and it is feared that a number of villages will become targets of landslides," he added.

He said the potential for hot clouds could also occur due to the overflow of material from the top of the mountain.

Currently, seismic activity at the top of the mountain, in a day more than 100 times. Every time there is a burst of material coming out of the mountain, it is accompanied by an earthquake, increasing the amount of material in the crater.

He also said that high-intensity rain in the peak area of Mount Ile Lewotolok could also cause a slide of eruptive material and hot clouds, as happened to Mount Semeru in East Java.

"The hot clouds that occurred on Mount Semeru were due to high rainfall and landslides that led to hot clouds," he added.

Various appeals and recommendations, he added, have been conveyed to the public in the hope that they will be aware of the condition of the mountain, which erupted as high as 2,000 meters in November 2020.