Landslide on Crater Wall Between Kelimutu's Kawah I and II Deemed Normal Phenomenon

One of the cliff walls separating Crater I and Crater II of Mount Kelimutu in Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has suffered a landslide.

The collapse occurred on the wall on the side of Crater II. As a result, that section of the cliff has thinned, raising concerns that it could affect the natural boundary between the two craters.

Head of Kelimutu National Park, Heru Rudiharto, confirmed the landslide on the wall separating the two craters. He said the phenomenon is normal for an active volcano.

“Our team conducted surveys and field observations and correlated them with our seismic records. It is true that a landslide occurred on the wall separating Crater I and Crater II, caused by rock weathering on the crater wall,” he said when contacted by Media Indonesia on Wednesday (5/8).

The incident occurred on Tuesday (4/8) at 08.44 Wita, was recorded by visitors and uploaded to social media. In the video, cliff material can be seen collapsing into the crater, triggering a large disturbance on the surface of the water of Crater II.

Currently, the water colour of Crater I is observed to be turquoise blue, while the water of Crater II is a bluish milky white.

“The colour change symptoms have been occurring for the last one or two months, and that is normal,” he said.

Regarding the incident, Heru urged the public and visitors to remain calm, increase vigilance, not cross the barrier fences, and always follow the instructions of officers on site.

According to him, a team from the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) together with Kelimutu National Park will conduct a direct inspection to assess the impact of the landslide.

“The plan is that we will check with the PVMBG team,” he said.