Indonesia's formidable Mount Marapi erupted on Sunday, unleashing thick columns of ash multiple times and enveloping nearby villages in volcanic debris. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in this latest eruption.
Located in the Agam district of West Sumatra, Mount Marapi stands as one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. Its eruptions are notoriously unpredictable, as they are not triggered by deep magma movements that typically cause detectable seismic tremors.
During the recent eruption, the volcano spewed ash clouds reaching heights of up to 2,000 meters, spreading several kilometers and covering surrounding towns with thick volcanic residue. Ahmad Rifandi, an official from Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center at the Marapi monitoring post, confirmed the extensive spread of ash.
The nearly 2,900-meter Mount Marapi has been under the second highest alert level since January, restricting climbers and villagers within a 3-kilometer radius of the crater's mouth due to potential lava flows.
This eruption follows a tragic event in December 2023 when Mount Marapi's sudden eruption claimed the lives of 24 climbers and injured several others. In response, two climbing routes on the mountain have remained closed to ensure public safety.
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Indonesia's Marapi volcano erupts, spewing ash and hot clouds
cgtn.com
