"The eruptions were followed by moderate thundering sounds. The volcano spewed smoke about 1,000 meters into the air and the smoke moved in the southeasterly and southerly directions," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
Sutopo said ash rains fell at the observatory post at 02.20 p.m. and the ash also poured over south of the provincial capital Ternate, with visibility down to 50 meters.
As of 02.30 p.m. on Sunday the alert level for the volcano had been raised to level III (Siaga) from level II (Waspada), he said.
Earlier, on Saturday (Sept 15), the volcano also erupted at 08.27 p.m., with ash pouring over southeast of Ternate.
"A team of officers from the North Maluku Provincial Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) has arrived at the scene and no residents have been evacuated," he said.
Sutopo said the North Maluku BPBD had been coordinating with the health office in providing masks to local residents.
He asked local residents not to stay outdoors as a blanket of ash had shrouded Ternate.
(S012/B/S012)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
