Days after a devastating earthquake and resultant tsunami ravaged Central Sulawesi region of Indonesia, the authorities sounded a Level III volcano alert in North Sulawesi on Wednesday. Mount Soputan in Minahasa regency emitted a 4-kilometer column of ash on Wednesday morning, after which the authorities raised the volcano’s status to Level III of the four-level national alert system.
According to a report in The Jakarta Post, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (CVGHM) has advised local residents to refrain from entering the area within a 4- to 6.5-kilometer radius around Mount Soputan.
CVGHM has also warned residents of riverbank settlements near the mountain of the possibility of lava flows following rain.
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The CVGHM forecast says the volcanic ash was drifting to the west and northwest. “This means that the volcanic ash will not disrupt flights. Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado is still operating normally, as it is located southeast of the mountain,” it said in a statement.
The center has advised local residents to wear dust masks “to avoid any potential respiratory problems in the event of falling ash”.
The North Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Agency has distributed such masks in the affected areas.