Mount Marapi Erupts 46 Times in 2 Days; SAR Team Postpones Evacuation
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5 December 2023 11:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Bukittinggi - Mount Marapi in West Sumatra has been experiencing a series of eruptions since Dec. 3. Ahmad Rifandi, the head of the volcano's observation post, said there have been a total of 46 eruptions and 66 blasts in just two days, on December 3 and 4, 2023.
“The first explosive eruption was on Dec. 3, at 14:54 local time, with ash column about 3,000 meters above the summit or 5,891 meters above sea level,” the volcano’s observation post (PGA) head, Ahmad Rifandi, said on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
He detailed that there were 36 eruptions and 16 blasts on Sunday, and 10 eruptions and 50 blasts on Monday.
“This morning, another eruption occurred but the height of the ash column was not observed at 06:13 WIT (Eastern Indonesian Time), 06:14 WIT, and 06:24 WIT, with a maximum amplitude of 30 millimeters,” he added.
Due to the ongoing eruptions, the joint search and rescue or SAR team decided to postpone the evacuation of hikers who were still trapped around the summit of the volcano.
The PGA also recorded that based on meteorological observations, the weather in the volcano area was overcast and rain was falling, with light winds from the east, southeast, and southwest.
The air temperature was between 23.1 and 26.6 degrees Celsius, the humidity was 64.3 to 84.2 percent, and the air pressure was 681.2 to 682.2 mmHg. Meanwhile, the rainfall rate was 0.14 mm per day.
Thick, medium-pressure gray-to-black smoke was observed about 400-800 meters above the crater.
Mount Marapi is currently at alert level II, Siaga, which means that people and tourists are advised to stay away from within three kilometers of the summit crater.
ANTARA
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