Mount Sinabung erupts again, spews ash 23,000 feet high

Mount Sinabung in Karo District, North Sumatra, erupted again at 4.15 p.m on Sunday, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

Head of BNPBs Information Data Center Sutopo Purwo Nugroho through his short text message to Antara here said he had received the information on eruption again of Mount Sinabung.

The information was sent by military personnel assigned in Bekerah village, about 2 km from Mount Sinabungs crater.

Sutopo said his office had recorded 1,293 residents from Mardinding and Sukameriah villages evacuated due to increased activities of the mount.

The number is expected to increase as residents of Bekerah, Mimacem and Sukameriah villages will still be evacuated.

BPBD rescuers and those from relevant agencies are still making inventory on the evacuated residents.

The BNPB has raised the status of Mount Sinabung to the alert level.

"The Head of Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center in the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has increased Mount Sinabungs status from vigilant level III to alert level III," said Sutopo in a press release received here on Sunday.

He said the agency set the new status on Sunday morning at 03.00 am. The agency has coordinated with the Head of BNPB to prepare the emergency efforts after the previous vigilant status has been implemented since September 29, 2013.

Sutopo said the agency raised the Mount Sinabung status due to the increased frequency of tremors and ash spewing in the volcano.

Mount Sinabung was reported to have erupted on Sunday at 1:26 a.m by spewing volcanic dust reaching a height up to 7,000 meters toward the west direction.

"Besides, the Observation Post at Simpang Empat heard volcanic rumble in ten minutes. The eruption of Mount Sinabung is more frequent," Nugroho said.

Nugroho urged people who live near Sinabung Volcano to avoid activity within a radius of three kilometers from the crater.

"We suggested people who live in several villages that include Sikameriah, Bekerah, Simacem and Nardinding and those within three kilometers radius or who are located in the front of the crater to flee to safer places," he said.

Previously Mount Sinabung has spewed volcanic dust on Saturday. However, the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) considered it did not endangered people in the area. (Antara)