Mounth Lokon In North Sulawesi Again Erupts

Tomohon, North Sulawesi, July 22 (Antara) - Mount Lokon located in Tomohon City, North Sulawesi Province, again erupted on Monday at around 5.05 am local time. "The volcano spewed ash. We were shocked because it produced loud noises," Stevie, a housewife, said. The volcanic ash fell around plantations at Kinilow Village, North Tomohon Subdistrict and part of Minahasa. Meanwhile, the head of the monitoring post of Lokon and Mahawu of the Geology Disaster Mitigation Volcanology Center (PVMBG), Farid Ruskanda Bina, said more frequent volcanic quakes were recorded before the eruption of Mount Lokon. "Several days earlier there were more frequent volcanic quakes," he said. Farid said the explosion sent volcanic materials a high as 1,200 meters from the crater. The PVMBG of the Bandung Geology office warned the people living within a radius of 2.5 kilometers from the crater of possible more dangerous stronger explosion. "The volcanic activities of Mount Lokon are still high. People are recommended to be away from the dangerous radius," Farid said. The volcano had exploded several times since July 2011 with the most recent on July 5 this year forcing evacuation of local people.