Mount Gamalama Gives Off White Smoke

Mount Gamalama/Photo: Antara

TERNATE - Gamalama Volcano in Ternate City, North Maluku Province, emitted white smoke as high as 200 meters from the summit crater on Tuesday, July 12 morning.

According to the Head of the Gamalama Volcano Observation Post, Dedi Nurani, the white smoke that came out of the volcanic crater on Tuesday from 06.30 to 09.30 WIT was not a sign of increased volcanic activity.

"Rainwater that continues to enter the crater of Mount Gamalama which then interacts with the hot crater causes smoke to appear and the smoke rises to the top", he said in Ternate, Tuesday, July 12.

He said that the white smoke coming out of the volcano was not dangerous and urged residents around Mount Gamalama not to worry about the impact.

However, Dedi urges residents to remain vigilant because the volcano in the middle of Ternate Island is on Alert (Level II).

"People are asked not to approach the peak of Mount Gamalama within a radius of 1.5 kilometers from the top of the mountain and to be aware of the possibility of cold lava flooding during heavy rains", he said, quoted by Antara.