PVMBG urges residents to beware of Mount Karangetang's hot clouds

Manado (ANTARA) - The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG), on Sunday, called on residents to beware of hot cloud avalanches coming from Mount Karangetang in Sitaro Islands District, North Sulawesi Province.

"The old lava dome is still at the peak and may fall alongside lava bursts at any time. Hot cloud avalanches of Mount Karangetang are a result of falling accumulated lava materials," PVMBG Head Hendra Gunawan stated.

He made the statement in an evaluation report shared by the Chief Officer of the Mount Karangetang Observation Post, Yudia Tatipang, in Manado, North Sulawesi. Despite posing threats of hot clouds, Mount Karangetang did not experience effusive eruptions during the period of February 1-15 this year, Gunawan said.

He further informed that the seismic activities of the volcano located on Siau Island had been dominated by gust tremors and hybrid quakes. He, however, noted that the accumulation of materials resulting from previous effusive eruptions might turn into lava flowing through valleys to the downstream side.

"Bearing that in mind, local residents should remain vigilant, especially when crossing valleys and rivers. It is also critical to beware of lava floods coming from the peak of the mountain in the event of rain," he stressed.

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In February 2023, PVMBG raised the alert level of Mount Karangetang to level III in response to an increase in the frequency of volcanic activities. Following eruptions on February 8 last year, volcanic materials at the top of the mountain fell and triggered hot cloud avalanches, prompting locals to vacate their homes and take refuge.