Indonesia: Mount Sinagung (North Sumatra) erupts October 12

Event

On Thursday, October 12, Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung volcano, located in North Sumatra, erupted, spewing ash and creating a 2000-m (6560-ft) high volcanic cloud. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) urged residents and tourists to stay 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away from the volcano and warned of the threat of a cold lava floods, i.e. lava mixed with rainwater. Additionally, the heavy rainfall could potentially cause the Laborus River’s natural dam to fail, leading to further flooding.

Context

Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is frequently affected by volcanic eruptions. Mount Sinabung was dormant for 400 years before resuming activity in 2010. Since then, the volcano's eruptions have killed at least 25 people. In May 2016, seven people were killed in a nearby village after they ignored evacuation orders. Similar eruptions in 2014 killed 16 people. The latest eruption took place in August 2017; 7000 were displaced.

Advice

Individuals present in affected areas are advised to monitor the situation and follow any instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g., potential evacuation orders).