Mount Sinabung Erupts Again

Jakarta (Antara) -- Mount Sinabung, located in Karo District in North Sumatra, erupted again on Wednesday at 1:43 pm local time, a spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said. The Sinabung volcano spewed ash clouds to heights of some two kilometers southeastward, Nugroho said in a statement on Wednesday. The eruption lasted 907 seconds, he added. Nugroho further stated, "(The volcanic activity) was not visible because of the clouds. From 6 am to 12 am local time, there were 44 earthquakes of low frequency, 11 hybrid earthquakes, incessant tremors and 32 avalanches." Authorities have declared a Level 3 volcano alert. "The region is still witnessing a lot of earthquakes and the formation of a lava dome is also potentially high," the spokesman noted. "At present, there are 4,729 refugees (1,440 families) staying in 17 refugee camps. Some 17,506 people (5,020 families) from 21 villages have returned home," Nugroho added. There are 6,179 people (2,053 families) staying in temporary shelters. These refugees have been provided with rented homes and farms by the government. Residents of the villages of Sukameriah, Bekerah and Simacem will have to be relocated. (*)