The eruption occurred on Sunday, local authorities said. Ashfall reached Agam district, in the area around the volcano. The sky temporarily darkened, local media reported. Residents were advised to remain in their homes. Authorities distributed masks to protect themselves from the ash.
News website Bisnis.com, citing the West Sumatra Nature Conservation Authority, reported that 70 hikers were on the volcano at the time of the eruption. Rescue teams are on duty to bring them to safety. All hiking trails have been temporarily closed.
Volcano erupted in Sumatra
On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Marapi volcano erupted and sent an ash cloud about three kilometers high into the sky.
A video posted on social media shows climbers being evacuated to a shelter with their faces and hair stained from volcanic dust and rain.
Activity has increased since January
According to initial measurements, the 2,981-meter-high volcano initially erupted for nearly five minutes, national disaster management authority spokesman Abdul Muhari said. “More eruptions are still ongoing,” said Hendra Gunawan of the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards (PVMBG).
APA/AFP/Indonesian National Disaster Agency Neighboring villages were hit by ashfall
The alert level for the volcano has been maintained at the third-highest level of four levels, Muhari said. He emphasized that authorities continued to closely monitor and monitor the volcano. According to PVMBG, Marapi’s activity has increased since January.
Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. The island state of Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on the planet. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur most frequently along this belt. There are around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
APA/AFP/Adi Prima According to authorities, the ash cloud was three kilometers high
Merapi volcano also more active
On the Indonesian island of Java there is a volcano with a very similar name: Merapi. This is also increasingly active again. The Volcanology Center warned of the potential dangers of lava and ash flows in late August. Merapi is located about 35 kilometers north of the city of Yogyakarta, in the center of Indonesia’s most populous main island, Java.
Merapi, more than 2,900 meters high, is a stratovolcano. During an eruption, a dangerous mix of dust, rock, lava and hot gas often washes down slopes. A serious eruption in 2010 killed more than 340 people and caused tens of thousands to flee.