T

he increased alert status of Mount Slamet in Central Java has stopped tourists from visiting the popular natural resort of Baturraden in Banyumas regency.

Djatmiko of the Banyumas Tourism Office said visitor numbers at Baturraden usually reached 3,000 on Sundays.

'€œBut since last month, the number of visitors has been less than 1,000 people [on Sundays],'€ he said.

The decreasing number of visitors also affected souvenir sellers in the tourist resort located about 7 kilometers from the summit of Mt. Slamet.

'€œSince morning, only two visitors bought souvenirs,'€ seller Tarsan, 43, said.

He viewed the decrease in visitors as being caused by Mt. Slamet'€™s recent volcanic activity.

In August, the government increased the alert level of Mt. Slamet to level 3, one step away from the highest alert of level 4.

Although Baturraden district is located within a danger zone, particularly its villages that are situated within a radius of 4 km from the peak of Mt. Slamet, the Banyumas regency administration has not decided to close the resort.

Banyumas Regent Ahmad Husen said the Baturraden resort was safe as long as the status did not increase to level 4.

'€œSo visitors should not be afraid since we have prepared all possible measures if the status is increased,'€ Husen told reporters.

Unlike at Baturraden, visitors flocked to the Guci hot spring in Tegal regency, Central Java, as Mt. Slamet showed a decrease in its activities on Sunday.

No tremors were recorded by the Mt. Slamet monitoring post in Gambuhan village, Pemalang regency, Central Java from 6 a.m. until noon on Sunday. However, the alert status of the volcano remained at level 3.

'€œThe activity has decreased since Friday,'€ said Nurcholis, an officer at the Gambuhan post.

Many people visited the post on Saturday, hoping to see the activity of the volcano.

'€œI'€™m just curious. Maybe I can take a picture of the volcano,'€ said Gayatri, who visited the post along with several of her friends.

In the last five days, the second tallest volcano on Java island has regularly emitted lava and dozens of loud bangs. The sounds of the volcano, which is situated 3,428 meters above sea level, could be heard 50 km away in Cilacap, Central Java.

However, residents are not hearing bangs any longer. '€œIt'€™s already calm. It'€™s not like two days ago,'€ Asikin, 46, said on Saturday.

As many as 174,644 people live in 34 villages in five regencies around Mt. Slamet.

Separately, the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center'€™s (PVMBG) western area volcano mitigation and monitoring head, Hendra Gunawan, confirmed that Mt. Slamet had showed a decrease in its activities.

'€œData on the volcano'€™s activity was collected from several monitoring posts. So, we can watch from many angles and can make more accurate conclusions,'€ Hendra said.

However, he continued, the threat remained that an eruption could occur anytime. '€œSo, we will continue to monitor the volcano until the situation returns to normal,'€ he added.