MT Marapi Spews Ash Twice on Sunday

Bukittingi, W Sumatra (Antara) - Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province spewed volcanic ash up to 100 meters into the sky on Sunday at 07.15 a.m. and 09.00 a.m. local time.

The ash only fell on the volcano's slope near the crater.

The first cloud of ash lasted for a quite long time, said Raiz, local resident.

"After the volcano stopped spewing ash for a few minutes it sent out volcanic ash again at 09.00 western Indonesian time," he said.

Another resident Ridwan said he saw clearly the 2,891-meter high volcano spewing volcanic ash at 07.00 a.m. local time.

"The cloud of volcanic ash was clearly seen from Tilatang Kamang area, Agam district," he said.

Mount Marapi began showing signs of increased activity on August 3, 2011 when it sent out sulfuric volcanic ash up to 1,000 meters into the sky. The ash fell onto a number of areas, such as Agam, Tanahdatar, Padangpariaman, and Padangpanjang.

Since then, the volcano has spewed white smoke and volcanic ash almost everyday.

The volcano last erupted in 2005.

When inactive, the mountains adjacent to Mt Singgalang and Mt Tandikek have always been a destination for climbers from within and outside West Sumatra. Also, every New Years, it is always crowded with mountain climbers. (*)