AGAM, Indonesia — Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupted again Sunday, spewing smoke and ash into the air, but no casualties were reported.
The Marapi volcano lookout in West Sumatra province recorded an eruption with an ash column about 4,265 feet high from its peak, followed by an ash fall.
Splashes of ash from the eruption were seen covering roads and vehicles in nearby villages.
At least 100 residents have been evacuated since Friday after Indonesian authorities on Wednesday raised the volcano’s alert level from Level 2 to Level 3, or the second highest level.
Marapi is known for its sudden eruptions that are difficult to predict because they are not caused by deep movement of magma, which causes tremors that register on seismic monitors.
Its eruption in early December spewed thick plumes of ash up to more than 9,800 feet that killed 24 climbers and injured several others who were trapped in a surprise weekend eruption.
A disaster management agency official washes a car covered in volcanic ash from the Mount Marapi eruption in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. AP
About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages, between 5.1 and 6 kilometers from the summit.
Marapi has been active since an eruption in January last year that caused no casualties. It is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a country prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that surround the Pacific basin.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn