By Brayden Yin
On August 10, a volcano called Mt. Sinabung erupted, sending ash and smoke almost five kilometers high. Falling ash from the eruption piled up to 2 inches deep. This was the latest eruption in the Ring of Fire, an arc of active volcanoes wrapping itself around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. This is where tectonic plates rub against each other to create earthquakes, tsunami, and volcano eruptions.
In Berastagi, a city in the North Sumatra province, the falling ash was so bad that drivers had to switch on their headlights during the day to see while driving.
No casualties or injuries were reported, but Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center advises people to stay 5 kilometers away.
Sinabung was dormant for 400 years until it’s first recent eruption in 2010. It erupted again in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
Since the 2010 eruption, people have had to leave their homes on the slopes of the newly active volcano due to the potential to erupt. The lava has cooled down since the eruption, but ash is still swirling around.
The volcano is still prone to erupt, so residents must stay away from Sinabung.
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