Mount Sinabung Erupts, Status Raised to Alert Level III

Mount Sinabung, located in the administrative area of Ndokum Siroga Village, Simpang Empat District, Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province, erupted on Monday 31 August at around 12.00 WIB.

The eruption column was observed reaching approximately 3,500 metres above the summit, or around 5,960 metres above sea level.

Based on visual monitoring and instrumental recordings, there has been a significant increase in volcanic activity at Mount Sinabung.

The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) raised the status of Mount Sinabung from Level II (Waspada) to Level III (Siaga), effective from Monday 31 August at 12.30 WIB.

Monitoring results from instrumental recordings and field checks indicate that volcanic ash is tending to drift east-southeast, towards the town of Berastagi.

“To prevent exposure to volcanic ash that could potentially harm health, the Karo Regency and Berastagi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), together with cross-agency partners in the area, have distributed masks to residents in areas affected by volcanic ash,” said Berton SP Panjaitan, Acting Head of the Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), in a written statement on Monday 31 August 2026.

In addition, Berton said, the Karo Regency BPBD has urged local residents in the danger zone to leave the area and move to safer locations to prevent unwanted incidents, as according to PVMBG the eruption was an initial eruption and there remains a possibility of a larger eruption occurring.

“To date, the number of casualties and the extent of material losses are still being assessed. The development of Mount Sinabung’s activity continues to be monitored by officers in the field,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Determination of the Transition Status from Emergency to Recovery for the Mount Sinabung Eruption Disaster in Karo Regency, based on Number 361/559/BPBD/2026, remains in effect for 90 days, from 8 July to 5 October 2026.

“BNPB continues to coordinate with local governments and relevant agencies to monitor the development of the situation and support the handling of the impact of the Mount Sinabung eruption. Evaluation of the volcano’s activity level is carried out periodically or at any time if significant changes occur,” he said.