Soputan, Karangetang mountains still in alert status

The hot clouds from Karangetang could flow to the river. The danger of Mount Soputan meanwhile is relatively smaller because its crater is located far away from residential areas,"

Manado, North Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Mount Soputan in South Minahasa and Mount Karangetang in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, continue to be in an alert status, a geological agency official said.

"The danger status of the two mountains remains at Level III. It has not been lowered nor raised," the chief of mitigation and land movement of the Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology in Bandung (PVMBG), West Java, Gede Swantika, said in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, on Tuesday.

He said the two mountains` seismic activity was still recorded in the seismographs at volcano observation posts in Maliku in South Minahasa district and Salili in Sitaro district.

The tremor they caused also was recorded still quite strong at an amplitude of up to 15 millimeter.

"Their volcanic activities are still above the normal level. Therefore the PVMBG has not decided to lower the status of the two volcanoes from currently at Level III to Level II," he said.

He said their potential of danger was still big, adding hot clouds were the main threat from the two mountains.

"The hot clouds from Karangetang could flow to the river. The danger of Mount Soputan meanwhile is relatively smaller because its crater is located far away from residential areas," he said.

He said that although their dangerous potential continued to decline he hoped people would continue to adhere to the PVMBG warning.

"The radius of the danger zone of Mount Soputan is set at around 6.5 kilometers from the crater while that of Mount Karangetang is around five kilometers. People must adhere to it to prevent any eventualities in case eruptions occur," he said.

Mount Soputan erupted on Sunday, August 14. After that its activity continued to decline. The activity of Mount Karangetang also continued to decline but molten lava is still seen at the mountain`s peak.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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