M

ore than 5,200 residents of the Dieng Plateau in Central Java are continuing to take refuge in Batur district, some 10 kilometers from the plateau, following Friday's earthquake.

While residents were reportedly not troubled by aftershocks from the 4.8-magnitude temblor, many voiced concerns about poisonous outgassing from a number of active volcanoes on the plateau.

Some residents, mostly men, braved the odds to return and to check their houses and property, while their children remained in the shelters.

The earthquake on Friday was the largest since the emergency status for the Dieng Plateau was increased to alert (siaga), the second-highest warning level, at the end of March, leading to the evacuation.

'So far, we are still ordering thousands of residents to stay at the shelters because of the possible aftershocks and poisonous gas threats that may appear at any time,' Banjarnegara Deputy Regent Hadi Supeno told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Hadi said that the authorities wanted to avoid a repeat of the 1979 incident when 149 residents of the plateau died after inhaling poisonous gas from Sinila Crater.

Timbang Crater Monitoring Command Post official Andri Sulistyo said that the residents taking refuge were from a number of villages, including Pekasiran, Sumberejo, Karangtengah and Kepakisan.

'They have been taking refuge at seven locations in Batur district and in Dieng Kulon village,' he said.

Andri added that there were no victims from Friday's quake, although 250 homes had been damaged.

Meanwhile, the head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVBMG), Surono, said that roads around Timbang Crater and those linking Dieng with Batur and Simpangan with Pekasiran had been reopened since Saturday.

'The roads were opened after no poisonous gas was detected and to facilitate evacuation traffic,' Surono said.

Separately, the head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency's (BMKG) Banjarnegara station, Ahmad Lani, said the epicenter of Friday's temblor was located about 11 kilometers northwest of Wonosobo at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The earthquake was felt in nearby Banjarnegara and Wonosobo regencies as far as Batang regency to the north.

The Dieng Plateau is located in Banjarnegara and Wonosobo regencies, west of the Sindoro and Sumbing mountain ranges.

The plateau has eight active craters and three summits, Mt. Prahu, Mt. Pakuwaja and Mt. Sikunir.