The erupting volcano spewed ash to a height of up to 800 meters from its crater on Tuesday evening, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho stated here, Wednesday.
The airport has been shut down since Monday (Aug. 8) at 8:30 a.m. local time but is expected to become operational on Wednesday noon if the ash disperses.
Mt Dukono has erupted since Saturday (Aug. 6), spewing ash in the northern direction towards the sub-districts of North Tobelo and Galela, North Halmahera District, North Maluku Province.
Popilo (with a population of 1,686 people), North Popilo (543), Kokotajaya (917), Ruko (889), and Luari (1,652) are among the villages in North Tobelo affected by Mt Dukonos eruption.
In Galela, the affected villages include Mamuya (2,296 people), Pune (883), Soasio (1,590), Towards (823), Barataku (1,097), Toweka (734), and Simau (924).
The North Halmera disaster mitigation office has distributed a total of 10,650 face masks, while the Indonesian Red Cross has handed out six thousand face masks to the local inhabitants.
Mount Dukonos emergency status is at the second alert level.
The public is not allowed to conduct any activity within a two-kilometer radius of the crater.
No evacuation of refugees has, so far, been carried out.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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