Mt Lokon in North Sulawesi erupted 14 times on Saturday morning. "We categorized them as small eruptions and were not dangerous," ANTARA quoted head of Mt Lokon and Mahawu monitoring post in Kakaskasen, Tomohon, Farid Ruskanda Bina, as saying on Saturday. He said the number of eruptions was smaller than that on Friday that reached 34 times. He also said the mountain was now still put under alert 3 degree status. The head of land movement and mitigation of the Geological Disaster Mitigation and Vulcanology Center in Bandung, West Java, Gede Swantika, meanwhile said the eruptions only indicated that the mountain was releasing its energy. "We think Mt Lokon for the time being is releasing and not collecting energy as shown by continuing series of small eruptions," he said. He said although the number of eruptions reached 34 on Friday, they were small and not dangerous. "The eruptions are small. So they are safe and people need not worry about them. The mountain is releasing its energy in installments and so there would not be a huge explosion," he said.
