Mt Lokon Erupts, Planes Instructed to be Careful

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The transportation ministry has asked all planes passing Manado and its surroundings to be careful following the eruption of Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi starting the small hours of Monday until 3.50 pm.

"The eruption of Mt Lokon had produced volcanic ash 50,000 feet into the air. All places flying pass the area need to be careful and avoid the area," Head of the Public Communication Center of the Transportation Ministry Bambang S. Ervan said in a press release here on Monday.

Bambang said the request to be careful was contained in a Notam (Notice to Airman) issued by the Notam Office of the Air Transportation directorate general No A0920/11. Notam explains the danger zone of the eruption 10 Nautical Miles, or some 18.52 km from Mt Lokon.

Mt Lokon on Monday morning erupted twice, namely at 00.39 and at 00.50 local time. The status of Mt Lokon has been raised from alert (III) to watch out (IV).

And before that, head of the North Sulawesi Volcanic Monitoring Post Farid Ruskanda Bina said that Mt Lokon erupted again on Monday July 11, at 3.50 pm local time, producing thick and brownish volcanic ash north of the mountain covering Jalan Tinoor, Warembungan, may be floating to Manado.

Farid cannot tell the height of the eruption, because it has just happened, except that the eruption was a big one. Since the first eruption on July 5, 2011, the tremble of the mountain continued fluctuating causing 8 millimeter shocks.