Indonesia Raises Danger Status as Activity of East Java Volcano Escalates

Jakarta, 25 Dzulhijjah 1437/27 September 2016 (MINA) – Indonesian agency has raised the danger status of Indonesia’s East Java province’s Mount Bromo volcano from level II (alert) to level III (standby), issuing an order to vacate the areas of 2.5 km around the volcano’s crater.

The move came following the escalating activities in the volcano.

“As the danger status has been raised, people staying around Mt. Bromo and tourists were not allowed to roam within the vacated area,” Xinhua quoted Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho aas saying in a statement released on Monday.

The danger level was raised by Indonesia’s Center of Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVBMG) on Monday morning at 6.00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB).

It learned from visual observation that persistent escalations in seismic activities around the volcano may lead to potential eruption.

Sutopo said that BNPB would intensify its coordination with East Java provincial and municipal disaster management offices in cities around the active volcano of Probolinggo and Pasuruan in monitoring the developing volcanic activities.

Volcanic activities of Mt. Bromo, East Java’s prominent tour destination, continued to intense in the past few years. Its eruption had forced Indonesian authorities to close down operation of several airports in the province in April this year.

Since then the volcano’s activities remained intense with volcanic ashes often emitting from its crater. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)