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Mount Raung's alert level increased
The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) on Monday raised the status of Mount Raung, a volcano that rises 3,332 meters above sea level in East Java, from âwaspadaâ (alert) to âsiagaâ (high alert)
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T
he Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) on Monday raised the status of Mount Raung, a volcano that rises 3,332 meters above sea level in East Java, from 'waspada' (alert) to 'siaga' (high alert).
'Mt. Raung's status has been increased to siaga starting from 9 a.m. today because of increases in its earth tremors,' the center's head of volcano observation and surveillance division, Gede Swastika, said as quoted by Antara in Jember, East Java, on Monday.
He said the PVMBG had monitored Mt. Raung, which is located on the border of three regencies, namely Banyuwangi, Bondowoso and Jember, during the last two weeks and found that its volcanic activities had continued to increase.
'The volcano's eruption has continued to increase. It spewed blazing lava and volcanic ash around 300 meters high into the sky,' said Gede.
He added that earthquake tremors had continued to increase with a maximum amplitude of 21 millimeters. Thundering noises could be heard from the Mt. Raung observation post in Songgon, Banyuwangi, although it could not visually record the volcano's eruptions because of the clouds covering its peak.
'With this higher alert level, the PVMBG recommends local residents living near Mt. Raung and mountain climbers not to approach areas within a radius of 3 kilometers from the crater,' said Gede.
Jember Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Suhanan said he had received a letter informing him of Mt. Raung's increased alert level from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.
'BPBD Jember officials, together with district heads and heads of villages on the slope of Mt. Raung, will inform local communities on the volcano's increased alert status,' he said.
Suhanan further explained that the BPBD Jember had composed contingency plans to anticipate Mt. Raung's eruptions. (ebf)
