Explosions at Two Indonesian Volcanoes Force Mass Evacuations

UPDATED

Mt Sinabung and Mt Karangetang erupt, forcing thousands of evacuations

The volume of lava in Mt. Sinabung’s crater has increased to more than 3 million cubic meters and the volcano is in unstable condition, reported PVMBG.

Up to 3,000 residents living within a 7-km radius of Mt. Sinabung, to the south and southeast of the volcano, have been evacuated according to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG).

Mt. Sinabung’s alert level was raised to the highest level “AWAS,” last week.

The volcano has been ejecting large plumes of volcanic matter since last week, and observers have reported pyroclastic flows cascading down the sides of the mountain.

The 2,460-m high volcano, created by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian Plate, is located in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra, about 40km from the Lake Toba supervolcano.

Sinabung has four volcanic craters, but only one of them is active currently.

Approximate location of Sinabung is marked  on the map by FEWW. Mount Sinabung is one of Indonesia’s 130  active volcanoes

Meantime, activity continues at Mt. Karangetang, which is located in the district of Sitaro, North Sulawesi, forcing the evacuation of 339 people (106 families).

The “twin-peaked” Mt Karangetang (“Api Siau”), also one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, is located on the north side of Siau Island [pop: 43,000] North Sulawesi, in the Celebes Sea.

About 200 million Indonesians, or more than thee-quarters of the population, live within 100-km radius of one or more volcanoes that have become restive at least once during the past 100 years, according to researchers.