Mount Marapi erupts in Indonesia, unleashing 3-kilometer ash plume into the sky

Mount Marapi, a volcano in western Indonesia, erupted on Sunday, sending a column of ash approximately three kilometers into the sky. The eruption occurred at 2:54 pm local time, and there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties. According to Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia's Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, ash from the eruption was observed at an altitude of 3,000 meters above the volcano's peak.

Mount Marapi, with a peak elevation of 2,891 meters, is on the third-highest alert level in Indonesia's four-step system. In response to the eruption, authorities have established an exclusion zone around the volcano's crater. Communities and tourists are prohibited from hiking within a three-kilometer radius from the crater.

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Gunawan stated that the eruption is still ongoing, and the column of ash is observed in grey color with thick intensity leaning toward the east. Ash rain resulting from the eruption reached Bukittinggi city, the third-largest city in West Sumatra.

Precautions to be taken

Officials at the Mount Marapi monitoring station advised people in the vicinity to wear hats, glasses, and masks to protect themselves. Mount Marapi, meaning 'Mountain of Fire,' is the most active volcano on Sumatra island. The Indonesian archipelago, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences high volcanic and seismic activity due to the convergence of continental plates.

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In May, another active volcano in Indonesia, Mount Merapi in Java, erupted, spewing lava more than two kilometers from its crater. Indonesia, with nearly 130 active volcanoes, remains prone to volcanic activity.