Indonesia records strong eruption of Marapi volcano

Mount Marapi, a volcano in Indonesia's West Sumatra province, erupted for about 45 seconds on January 7, throwing ash up to 300 meters above its peak.

The eruption happened in the morning, and ash accompanied by sand has the potential to hit the surrounding area, according to Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

Mount Marapi, 2,891m above sea level, has been active since December 25, 2022. It is currently in the second level of danger status.

Local authorities have urged tourists not to be within a radius of 3km from its crater.

Indonesia straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire, where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur frequently. With 142 volcanoes, it now has the biggest number of people residing near volcanoes in the world, with 8.6 million within a radius of 10km from these mountains./.

VNA