Mount Merapi Showers Ash over Kaliurang; Sleman Issues Warning

TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Mount Merapi released hot clouds again on Wednesday, March 15. The Central Java volcano today spewed them three times at 05:42, 10:36, and 17:14 western Indonesian time (WIB).

The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) Yogyakarta reported that the first incident had a sliding distance of 1,300 meters to the southwest area and the second one slided 1,000 meters to the same direction.

During the same period, six lava avalanches were observed with a maximum sliding distance of 1,500 meters to the southwest area. 

“After the second hot clouds occurred, at around 10:36 WIB, there was a mild ash rain over  Kaliurang and Turi District, precisely Girikerto Village,” said Tri Tukijo, a staffer of the emergency and logistics at the Sleman Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) on Wednesday.

Tri said the ash rain, even though it was mild, was beyond prediction because when the first hot clouds spewed out around the volcano, there was no wind blowing as strong as during the hot clouds last Saturday, March 11, which carried volcanic ash up to 33 kilometers.

However, Tri claimed the ash rain did not interfere with residents' activities. “When the hot clouds occurred, volunteers of the Sleman BPBD were distributing masks to residents.”

Sleman Regent Kustini Sri Purnomo today issued a circular letter, banning the public and business actors from carrying out any activities in the potentially dangerous area of Mount Merapi which has not stopped emitting hot clouds in the last five days.

“The ban on carrying out activities that are mainly in the river channel is as recommended by the Yogyakarta BPPTKG,” said Kustini, mentioning rivers that flow to Mount Merapi in the southwest sector: Krasak River, Bedog River, and Boyong River, as well as in the southeastern sector: Gendol River.

“Because Mount Merapi's volcanic activity is quite high and is still persisting, marked by the growth of the lava dome, incandescent lava avalanches, hot clouds, and volcanic ash rains, both in the southwest lava dome and the center of the crater,” said Kustini.

PRIBADI WICAKSONO (CONTRIBUTOR)

Editor's Choice: Sleman Sets Evacuation Plans to Anticipate Mount Merapi Eruption

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News