Inp.polri.go.id - Bukittinggi. Mount Marapi in West Sumatra erupted twice on Saturday (26/10/2024), sending volcanic ash as high as 1,000 meters with loud rumbling sounds. 

The first eruption occurred at 1.05 pm and the second at 5.10 pm local time, marking a day of heightened volcanic activity.

Ahmad Rifandi, the Head of the Marapi Volcano Observation Post, said  that the first  eruption produced an ash column reaching 1,000 meters above the peak, or 3,891 meters above sea level. The plume was gray with moderate intensity, drifting northwest. Seismographs recorded a maximum amplitude of 4.7 millimeters and a duration of 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Residents nearby, especially in Agam, heard loud explosions, with one local, Yudi, noting, “The rumble was loud, and the ash column was clearly visible.”

Mount Marapi’s alert level remains at Level II. Authorities urge the public to avoid the 3-kilometer radius around the volcano and to be aware of potential lahar flows during the rainy season, according to antaranews.com.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)