Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupts, blanketing West Sumatra with ash clouds

JAKARTA, Oct 14 — Indonesia’s Mount Marapi erupted early Tuesday, releasing volcanic ash over parts of West Sumatra and prompting authorities to advise residents and tourists to stay away from the area, particularly within a three-kilometre radius of the main crater, Verbeek.

The eruption, which occurred at 3.52am local time, was recorded by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation with a maximum seismic amplitude of 30.4 millimetres and lasting one minute and 11 seconds.

Dense fog limited visibility around the crater, but ash drifted northeast toward Batu Palano in Agam district. By 9am, conditions had improved, though roads and houses were still covered in ash.

“Fog continues to blanket the crater area, and light ashfall has eased. However, ash on the roads can easily become airborne again when vehicles pass,” said National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari in a statement.

Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors unless necessary and have distributed face masks to prevent respiratory issues. Those living near rivers flowing down the volcano’s slopes were also warned to stay alert for potential lahar flows — fast-moving mudslides formed by a mix of volcanic ash, rock, and rainwater.

Mount Marapi remains at Level II or “Alert” status, the second tier of Indonesia’s four-level volcano alert system, indicating increased activity above normal but no immediate risk of a major eruption.

Abdul Muhari added that signs of magmatic or hydrothermal activity have been observed, but the danger remains confined to the crater area, where toxic gases may still pose a hazard.

Mount Marapi, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes, last erupted in December 2023, killing more than 20 climbers. — Bernama