TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Mount Marapi in West Sumatra has the potential to experience a phreatic eruption, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has issued a warning.

The agency recommends people residing near the volcano and visitors or tourists not to carry out activities or are within a three-kilometer radius of the mountain peak.

"The current danger is in the form of hurling crater material and ash that has the potential to hit an area with a radius of three kilometers from the eruption center of Verbeek Crater," said the agency's volcano mitigation coordinator, Oktory Prambada, in a written statement, Friday, September 2, 2022.

The agency issued the early warning following the rising activity of the volcano as of September 1, 2022. Besides, eruptive activity has not been observed for the last eight months and is only dominated by gusts with a height of 50-100 meters above the summit.

Based on visual and instrumental monitoring from the Volcano Observation Post in Bukittinggi, the volcanic activity has fluctuated since January 2022.

The status of Mount Marapi in Agam Regency and Tanah Datar Regency, however, remains at level II or Waspada/Caution, which has been determined since August 3, 2021.

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)

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