Officials said an ash plume three kilometres high erupted from a volcano in western Indonesia on Sunday.
According to Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia’s Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, ash from Mount Merapi on the island of Sumatra was observed 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) above its top.
Following the explosion at 2:54 pm local time (0754 GMT), there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
In a statement, Gunawan stated, “The column of ash was observed in grey colour with thick intensity leaning toward the east”.
“The eruption is still ongoing”, the statement reads.
The volcano, which has a peak elevation of 2,891 metres, is on the third-highest alert level of Indonesia’s four-step system and authorities have set an exclusion zone surrounding the crater.
“Communities around the Marapi volcano and tourists are not allowed to hike the Marapi volcano within a three-kilometre radius from its crater/peak”, Gunawan continued.
According to Ahmad Rifandi, a monitoring station official at Mount Marapi, ash rain was reported following the eruption.
“For the ash rain, it has reached Bukittinggi city”, Rifandi stated, referring to the third-largest city in West Sumatra, which has a population of around 100,000.
“It is hoped for people who have activities around Marapi mountain to wear hats, glasses and masks”, Rifandi added.
Mount Merapi, which means ‘Mountain of Fire’, is Sumatra’s most active volcano.
The Indonesian archipelago is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide, resulting in intense volcanic and seismic activity.
Mount Merapi, Java’s most active volcano, erupted lava more than two kilometres from its crater in May.
The country in Southeast Asia contains around 130 active volcanoes.
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