Marapi volcano in Padang city, West Sumatra province, Indonesia during an eruption.
Indonesian officials said Marapi volcano on Sumatra island erupted at about 2:54 p.m. on the same day. According to the leader of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation IndonesiaHendra Gunawan, this volcano is continuing to erupt a thick, gray column of ash to the East.
Authorities have issued a level 3 volcano warning in a 4-level warning scale system, and also stipulated an avoidance zone around Merapi crater. Accordingly, communities living near the volcano and tourists are not allowed to enter the 3 km radius around the crater.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Rifandi, an expert at the Marapi volcano monitoring station, said the batch volcanic eruption resulting in ash rain, affecting the city of Bukittinggi, the third largest in West Sumatra, with over 100,000 people. Expert Rifandi recommends that people near the volcano should wear hats, glasses and masks.
Marapi volcano, whose peak is located at an altitude of 2,891 m above sea level, is the most active volcano on Sumatra island. Indonesia is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” so it often witnesses geological activities and volcanic eruptions. Currently this country has nearly 130 active volcanoes. Last May, Merapi volcano on Java island – the most active volcano in the country, also erupted.