... Right now, you can't even see the mountain because it is covered by a thick fog...Bukittinggi, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Mount Marapi, situated between the Tanahdatar and Agam districts of West Sumatra, spewed volcanic ash on Monday morning, according to a local resident.
"The volcanic ash was ejected at about 8.35 a.m. [local time] for five minutes," said Ramadan, a resident of Kubu Sawah Runciang, Nagari Sungaipuar in Agam district.
According to Ramadan, the 2,891-meter-high volcano threw ash up to 50 meters into the sky.
"The ash burst out of the crater of the mountain. Right now, you can't even see the mountain because it is covered by a thick fog," he said.
Ramadan added that since the volcano showed signs of increased activity on August 3, 2011, the mountain had been giving out a lot of thick white smoke and volcanic ash.
Right now, the Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) in Bukitinggi is still on level 2 alert.
"PVMBG is alerting civilians that the mountain is on level 2 alert, and that they are forbidden to walk within 3 kilometres of the peak," said Suparmo, a worker from PVMBG.
One of the active volcanoes in West Sumatra, it had previously sent volcanic ash up to 1,000 meters into the sky, which then spread over a number of areas in West Sumatra, including Agam, Tanahdatar, Padang Pariaman, and Padang Panjang
The volcano had last erupted in the year 2005. Under normal conditions Mount Marapi, which is adjacent to the Singgalang and Tandikek mountains, is popular among domestic and foreign climbers.
At the beginning of every year, the mountain is full of hikers. Access to Mount Marapi is easy and the hikers start from Kotobaru in Tanahdatar.
(O001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
