Mount Agung Alert Status Raised as Volcanic Activity Increases

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) has raised the alert status of Mount Agung from level three to four in Karangasem District, Bali.

“The status has been raised having observed Mount Agung eruption level that has increased from phreatic to magmatic, after we spotted a red light at the top of the mountain 3,142 m asl on Sunday night…,” PVMBG Mitigation Division head I Gede Santika told Tempo in Karangasem today.

He explained that the shift from phreatic to magmatic eruption was marked with thick smoke that was spewed as far as 2000-3400 meters from Mount Agung top. Suantika also predicts increasing magma and lava activity.

Read also: Mount Agung: Warning Flight Status Raised to the Highest `Red`

Moreover, ash continues to be spewed together with explosive eruptions and low explosion heard up to 12 kilometers from the summit, marking potential, larger eruption.

Suantika recommends locals living around Mount Agung, hikers, visitors and tourists to stay away or avoid hiking and having any activity around the risk zone on Bali’s highest mountain.

The danger zone has been expanded from six kilometers to eight kilometers from the summit coupled with ‘sectoral’ zone from 7.5 to ten kilometers toward the north, northeast, south and south-west.

Suantika underlined that the agency has yet to expand the 12 km risk zone set since September as it did not find possible materials thrown out during eruption as far as eight kilometers or over 11 kilometers during alert status or level III so that the ‘sectoral’ zone may be raised to 12 km.

Read also: Mt. Agung Spews 6142 Meters Ash; Red Notice Issued

“The disaster prone zone of eight kilometers is dynamic as it may change quickly. Since any physical dangers are yet to be seen, there are just potential, we decide that the danger zones are 8-10 kilometers,” he said.

Therefore, PVMG said that the villagers located within the danger zones of Mount Agung and ‘sectoral’ zone must be evacuated, namely villagers of Ban, Dukuh, Baturinggit, Sukadana, Kubu, Tulamben, Datah, Nawakerti, Pitpit, Bhuana Giri, Bebandem, Jungutan, Duda Utara, Amerta Bhuana, Sebudi, Besakih and Pempatan.

ANTARA