Technology and Science01 September, 20262 min read
Mount Sinabung Erupts In Indonesia’s North Sumatra, Ash Covers Berastagi As Alert Level Rises
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Sinabung erupts for first time in five years, ash plume reaches 3,500 meters. Ash blankets Berastagi as authorities raise alert level.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Sinabung Erupts Again
Mount Sinabung erupted Monday morning in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, sending volcanic ash over the nearby city of Berastagi, according to a local monitoring official. The eruption spewed volcanic materials into the air and produced a column of black ash and smoke 3,500 meters from the top of the mountain into the sky over Sumatra island, with no immediate reports of casualties, evacuations or disruptions to flights.
In Karo regency, the alertness level was upgraded from Level II Awas (advisory) to Level III Siaga (alert), and the volcano was observed to emit thick, black ash from its crater to the East and Southeast. Mount Sinabung monitoring post head Armen Putra said the eruption was recorded on a seismogram at 10:17 a.m. for a duration of more than 1 hour with a maximum amplitude of 120 millimeters, and he described it as the volcano’s first eruption since it ceased volcanic activity in 2021.
Alert Raised, Zones Set
Residents, visitors and tourists were advised to refrain from activities in nearby villages in Karo district in North Sumatra province and areas within 6 kilometers of the summit, after officials raised the volcano alert level to “Watch,” the second-highest level for volcanic activity.
AP reported that roads, vehicles and buildings in several villages in Karo affected by the eruption were covered in gray ash, and local authorities distributed masks to residents to protect themselves.
Armen Putra said the volcanic ash reaches a radius of up to 20 kilometers in the East and Southeast directions, and he called on residents and tourists to remain vigilant because there may be bigger follow-up eruptions.
Mount Sinabung task force commander Lt. Col. Robert Panjaitan urged residents around the volcano’s slopes and tourists not to enter dangerous zones, saying there are still possible eruptions and pyroclastic clouds.
Risk of a Larger Eruption
Lana Saria, chief of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said in a statement Monday that “This eruption is considered an initial eruption, and it is possible that a larger eruption could occur,” as officials expanded the recommended radius for public activities. The Asia News Network reported that before the volcano erupted, there were 85 volcanic quakes, one emission quake and one harmonic tremor, and it said the increased activity was much higher compared with the days before the eruption.
AP said about 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes around Sinabung in the past few years because of volcanic activity, and it described Sinabung as among more than 120 active volcanoes. Straight Arrow said ash and smoke spewed nearly 11,500 feet above the volcano on Sumatra Island, and it warned that geologists said a larger eruption remains possible even though no casualties were reported.