2024-01-14 05:52:02
AGAM, Indonesia (AP) — Mount Marapi in Indonesia erupted once more Sunday, spewing ash and clouds of volcanic material, with no casualties reported.
The Marapi Volcano Observation Post in West Sumatra province recorded an ash plume reaching 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) high from the peak, which was followed by a rain of ash that covered roads and vehicles in nearby towns.
At least 100 residents have been evacuated since Friday, following Indonesian authorities raised the volcano’s alert level on Wednesday from level 2 to 3, the second highest.
Marapi is known for its sudden eruptions, which are difficult to predict because they are not due to deep movements of the magma, which cause tremors detectable with seismographs.
Its eruption in early December ejected dense columns of ash that rose up to 3 kilometers (more than 9,800 feet), killing 24 mountaineers and injuring several others who were taken by surprise by the eruption over one weekend.
About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the closest villages within 5 to 6 kilometers (3.1 to 3.7 miles) of the summit.
Marapi has remained active since an eruption in January last year that left no victims. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic activity due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and seismic faults around the Pacific basin.
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Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
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