Activity Of Mt Sinabung Remains High

Medan, North Sumatra (Antara Bali) - The volcanic activity of Mouth Sinabung in North Sumatra still remained high marked by molten lave flow from its peak 700 to 2,000 meters down southward on Monday.

"The flow also went 500 to 700 meters southeastward accompanied by shower," head of the Karo district office of the Disaster Mitigation Agency, Subur Tambun, said.

He said it was cloudy and rained at 12.00 hours with weather temperature standing at 15 to 21 degrees Celsius.

"Hot cloud of debris also happened moving downward but it could not be seen as it was covered by fog," he said.

Subur said at 6.00 to 12.00 hours on Sunday it was cloudy at the mountain with soft winds moving eastward with weather temperature at 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Mount Sinabung was covered by fog and thick white cloud was seen spewing 500 meters above the peak.

Two hot cloud of debris came out of the peak moving downward 1,000 to 2,000 meter away southeastward.

"The lava flow from the peak moved 500 meters away southward and 500 to 1,000 meters away southeastward," he said.

Subur said on Saturday at 06.00 hours it was cloudy at the mountain with winds going eastward with weather temperature at 17-18 degrees Celsius.

Mt Sinabung spewed hot clouds three times 2,000 to 2,500 meters away southeastward that day.

"That day around 300 villagers of Sukanalu were evacuated, due to the increasing activity of the mountain," he said.

He said until Monday 2,085 people had been evacuated hailing from five villages.

The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) has raised the alert level for the mountain higher from three to four levels since June 2, 2015.

The volume of the lava dome at the top of the mountain rose to more than three million cubic meter and was not stable and so it has the potential to slide causing hot clouds of debris southward and southeastward as far as seven kilometers away.(WDY)