We have called on the people to remain alert."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra has remained dangerous as eruptions continued to be recorded at 106 times in the past two days.
"Mt Sinabung has continued erupting and from Saturday (Jan. 4) until now its eruptions have reached more than one hundred times," the head of data information and public relations of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, stated here on Monday.
According to the Geology Disaster Mitigation and Vulcanology Center (PVMBG), a total of 115 eruptions had been recorded since Saturday until Monday afternoon.
In the past two days there have been 106 eruptions with hybrid ones recorded at 1,545 and hot cloud falls at 426 times.
The hybrid eruptions show that the magma supplying to the surface is still continuing intensively. Sutopo added that a lava dome has been seen with the lava flowing eastward as far as 500 meters.
He pointed out that if the supply continues, then hot clouds will also continue and could move eastward.
Eruptions could be accompanied by ejection of materials within a radius of five kilometer, he noted.
Until now hot clouds continued to flow south-eastward and southward up to 4.5 kilometer away.
Due to continued eruptions the number of evacuees has continued to rise, reaching 21,893 spreading across 33 evacuation centers.
"We have called on the people to remain alert. The danger status of the volcano is on cautious level (Level IV) causing evacuation of residents living within a radius of five to seven kilometers on the southeast slope," Sutopo explained.
He stated that the volcanic ash and sand on the southeast and south slopes had the potential to become cold lava due to the high intensity rain.
(Reporting by Desi Purnamawati/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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