Five North Sulawesi Volcanoes on Alert, Residents Advised to Stay Cautious

SEAToday.com, Manado - The Sulawesi and Maluku Volcanic Monitoring and Land Movement Disaster Mitigation Center, under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), has reported that five volcanoes in North Sulawesi are currently at Level II or "Alert" status.

"Out of the eight volcanoes in North Sulawesi, five are on Alert status, while the other three remain at Normal or Level I status," said Juliana DJ Rumambi, Head of the Sulawesi and Maluku Volcanic Monitoring and Land Movement Disaster Mitigation Center, in Manado on Sunday (2/16).

According to Juliana, the five volcanoes on Alert status include Mount Awu in the Sangihe Islands Regency, Mount Karangetang on Siau Island, and Mount Ruang on Siau Island in the Siau-Tagulandang-Biaro (Sitaro) Islands Regency.

The other two volcanoes are Mount Lokon in Tomohon City and Mount Soputan in Southeast Minahasa Regency.

Meanwhile, the three volcanoes that remain at Normal status are Mount Tangkoko in Bitung City, Mount Mahawu in Tomohon City, and Mount Ambang in Bolaang Mongondow Regency.

Juliana urged residents and tourists to adhere to the danger radius recommendations issued by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) to stay safe in case of volcanic activity.

For example, regarding Mount Soputan in Southeast Minahasa Regency, authorities have advised people to avoid any activity within a 1.5-kilometer radius from the peak. Additionally, they should stay clear of the west-southwest sector up to 2.5 kilometers, as this is an active crater area prone to lava flows and pyroclastic surges.

Furthermore, residents are advised to be cautious of potential lahar (cold lava) flows, particularly in rivers originating from Mount Soputan’s slopes, such as the Ranowangko, Lawian, Popang, and Londola Kelewahu rivers.

"If volcanic ash falls, people are advised to wear masks to cover their nose and mouth to prevent respiratory issues," Juliana added.