Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) volcano, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, erupted again on Tuesday, June 18 at 07:46 local time, spewing a 700-meter-high column of ash from the summit. The seismograph recorded that it had a maximum amplitude of 37 millimeters in 4 minutes and 7 seconds.
According to the Geological Agency, the volcanic ash that was spewed over the crater during the eruption was gray and thick intensity that tended to the west. This condition forces people to wear masks to cover the nose and mouth to prevent the ash from entering the respiratory tract.
The agency stated that the status of Mount Lewotobi Laki is still at level III alert or Siaga. Therefore, residents living near the volcano are urged not to carry out any activities within a radius of 3 kilometers from the crater, 4 meters in the north-northeast direction, and 5 kilometers in the northeast sector.
In addition to the eruption, the Geological Agency urges people to be aware of the potential for lava flooding in rivers that originate at the summit of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki. Especially if it rains with high intensity.
The head of the Geological Agency, Muhammad Wafid, called on the people to remain calm and follow the instructions of the NTT government. "Do not trust rumors from unclear sources," Wafid said in a statement received by Tempo on Tuesday morning.
He said that the cooperation of various parties is urgently needed to prevent the effects of the eruption. Wafid asked the NTT government to coordinate with each other, especially with the Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) and the NTT Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).