Geological Agency: Mount Ibu erupts with ash plume up to 800 metres high

Jakarta — Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island, North Maluku, has erupted again, ejecting a volcanic ash plume approximately 800 metres above the summit, according to the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM). Lana Saria, the head of the Geological Agency, stated in a Jakarta briefing on Tuesday that the eruption of the 2,125-metre-high volcano occurred at 09:24 WIT. The current activity level is Level II (Waspada). In line with the status, the Geological Agency issued a recommendation that people living near the mountain and visitors should refrain from activities within a two-kilometre radius of the active crater. In addition, the restriction extends to a 3.5-kilometre sector toward the crater’s northern opening. Lana urged the public to use nose-and-mouth protection (masks) and eye protection (goggles) when outdoors during volcanic ashfall to mitigate health risks. The Geological Agency also urged all parties to maintain social harmony and not to spread misinformation or be drawn by unclear sources related to the volcanic activity. The Halmahera Barat Regency Government is expected to maintain coordination with PVMBG (Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi) or the Mount Ibu Observation Post in Gam Ici to obtain the latest data. Meanwhile, residents of Halmahera Island are asked to continue monitoring developments via the government’s official Magma Indonesia app.