Mount Marapi erupts, sends ash 1.6 km high over West Sumatra

PADANG, West Sumatra (BelTA - ANTARA) - Mount Marapi, which straddles the Agam and Tanah Datar districts of West Sumatra province, erupted on Tuesday morning, sending volcanic ash 1,600 meters above its summit.

“An eruption occurred at Mount Marapi in West Sumatra at 8:39 a.m. local time, with the ash column observed at approximately 1,600 meters above the summit,” an officer from the Mount Marapi Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PGA), Ahmad Rifandi, informed on Tuesday.

The PGA reported that the ash column was white-gray, thick in intensity, and drifting northeast. Seismograph readings recorded a maximum amplitude of 30.4 millimeters, with the eruption lasting around 34 seconds.

Mount Marapi’s alert level remains at Level II. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has urged the public to avoid activities within a three-kilometer radius of the Verbeek Crater, the volcano’s center of activity.

It also warned of potential cold lava flows, particularly for communities along rivers originating from the summit, which could pose hazards during the rainy season. Residents have been advised to stay alert for ashfall and wear masks to prevent respiratory problems.

Earlier evaluations conducted from July 16 to 31, 2025, showed fluctuating volcanic activity. The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said long-term monitoring is needed to determine consistent patterns.

Authorities warned that even without a significant increase in magma supply, Mount Marapi could still produce sudden eruptions ejecting volcanic material within a three-kilometer radius of the Verbeek Crater.