REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAMBI -- The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Jambi has stated that Mount Kerinci's status remained at alert level II following the moderate earthquake that had hit the southern coast of Sumatra on Thursday (June 2).

A spokesperson of Jambi's BPBD, Dalmanto, clarified here on Tuesday that the highest volcano in the Sumatra Island had not spewed lava or volcanic ash, but only a thin plume of smoke.

"Residents should not pay attention to rumors (about the volcano's status). If it becomes hazardous, the government will issue a warning," Dalmanto said.

The authority has marked out an exclusion zone of three kilometer radius from the Kerinci's peak.

Moreover, the authority has provided training about volcano disaster mitigation steps to residents from Gunung Labu and Sungai Kering villages around Mount Kerinci.

As many as 30 residents from each village have been trained since 2012 to be volunteers of the disaster response units, Dalmanto said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Mount Kerinci Observation Post, Indra Saputra, informed that "there has been no increase in activity following Thursday's earthquake."

An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter Scale had hit West Sumatra Province on Thursday at 5:56 a.m. local time.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 2.29 degrees South Latitude and 100.46 degrees East Longitude at a depth of approximately 72 kilometers south-west of the eastern coast of West Java. The earthquake did not have the potential to generate a tsunami.

The agency had recently stated that the earthquake was caused by the subduction activity of the Indonesian and Australian plates.

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