Eruptions in Indonesia: Volcanoes spew out ash and rocks

Tuesday 2 March 2021

The outbreak in Indonesia
Volcanoes spew out ash and rocks

There are 130 active volcanoes on the islands of Indonesia. Two of these fire-spitting mountains are now emitting massive amounts of rock and ash. Particularly dangerous eruptions have awakened from previous years.

Two volcanoes erupted in Indonesia. On the island of Sumatra, the Sinabung River released an ash column about five kilometers high, as announced by the Southeast Asian nation’s geological service. In addition, the so-called lava current – a mixture of hot ash, gases and bits of rock – is running on the slopes of the volcano. According to initial reports, there were no injuries or damage.

Sinabung is located at an altitude of about 2,460 meters and is located about 50 kilometers southwest of the regional capital, Medan. After a lull for centuries, there have been frequent outbreaks since 2010. Tens of thousands of people had to be brought to safety. More than 20 people were killed in particularly severe volcanic eruptions in 2014 and 2016.

Authorities have reported that Merapi volcano on the island of Java threw out glowing ash and rocks again. The mixture extended two kilometers down the slopes on the southwest side of the mountain.

Merapi, which has a height of nearly 3000 meters, is Indonesia’s most active volcano. It is located about 35 kilometers north of the city of Yogyakarta. In a severe outbreak in 2010, more than 340 people were killed and tens of thousands fled. Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. There are approximately 130 active volcanoes in the island country.