The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) through the Marapi Volcano Observation Post (PGA) reported that the eruption of Marapi occurred on Wednesday at 07:32. The height of the ash column from the eruption was approximately 1,600 meters or 1.6 kilometers above the peak, or about 4,491 meters above sea level.
"The observed ash column is white to gray in color with a thick intensity leaning towards the southeast," said PGA Marapi Post Officer, Teguh Purnomo, in a written statement on Wednesday.
According to Teguh, the eruption of the volcano, which is currently at Level II or Alert status, is recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 30.5 millimeters and a duration of approximately 1 minute and 18 seconds.
The PVMBG has urged the community around Mount Marapi, as well as climbers, visitors, and tourists, to refrain from entering and engaging in activities within a radius of 3 km from the center of activity or Verbeek Crater of Mount Marapi.
Residents living around the rivers originating from the peak of Mount Marapi are urged to remain vigilant. This is due to the potential danger of rain-induced lahars that can occur at any time during the rainy season.
"If ash rain occurs, the public is advised to use masks to cover their nose and mouth to avoid respiratory tract disturbances (ISPA)," said Teguh.
Ismail Damar, a farmer and also the Chairman of the Disaster Preparedness Group (KSB) of Nagari Sariak, Sungai Pua District, Agam, stated that he and three other farmers were in the field preparing water for the crops when Mount Marapi erupted. When the eruption occurred, those within a 5-kilometer radius from the summit were taken by surprise.
"Suddenly, a loud bang was heard and the ground felt like it was shaking. We looked directly towards the mountain. After the bang, a rumbling sound was heard from the peak for quite a while," said Ismail, who is also the Head of Jorong Lukok, Nagari Sariak, when contacted from Padang.
Ismail explained that the volcanic ash resulting from the eruption tends to be divided into two directions, namely towards the city of Padang Panjang and Nagari Bukik Batabuah, Candung District, Agam. However, the ash has also begun to be carried by the wind to the area where Ismail resides in Jorong Lukok, Nagari Sariak, which is located between the two points.
According to Ismail, it has been relatively long since Marapi erupted with such intensity. On July 16 and 18, Marapi also erupted with ash column heights of 1.2 km and 1 km, but its rumblings were not as strong as the eruption on Wednesday morning.
The Nagari Head of Bukik Batabuah, Firdaus, stated that the booming sound during the eruption of Marapi resembled that of a cannon. The eruption was also accompanied by vibrations that could be felt inside residents' homes. "The booming was very loud, it could still be heard within a radius of 10 km," he said.
Firdaus stated that after the eruption occurred, Nagari Bukik Batabuah, located approximately 4.5 km from the summit, was hit by volcanic ash rain. The village government, along with authorities and disaster preparedness groups, distributed masks to the community.
Throughout July, there were nine eruptions and twelve emissions at Mount Marapi. The eruptions occurred on July 6 (1 time), July 11 (2 times), July 14 (2 times), July 15 (1 time), July 16 (1 time), July 18 (1 time), and July 23 (1 time).
However, of the nine eruptions, only three eruptions had their eruption heights monitored, namely on July 16, July 18, and July 23, while the other eruptions were obscured by fog.
The explosion was so loud, it could still be heard within a radius of 10 km.
Mount Marapi has experienced frequent major eruptions since December 3, 2023, which claimed the lives of 24 climbers (Kompas.id, June 9, 2024). The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) recorded that since the December 3, 2023, eruption, Mount Marapi has experienced 458 eruptions and 7,155 eruptions.
In addition to the eruption, there was also a galodo disaster or flash flood in the rivers that originate from Mount Marapi on May 11, 2024. The total number of people who died in this disaster was 63 people and 10 others were missing (Kompas.id, 9/6/2024).
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter