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Alert status raised over rising volcanic activity at Mt. Tangkuban Parahu
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Volcanic ash covers a car parked close to Mount Tangkuban Parahu in Bandung, West Java, which erupted on July 26. (Courtesy of /The National Disaster Mitigation Agency)
T
he Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has raised the alert status of Mount Tangkuban Parahu in Bandung, West Java, from normal to waspada (caution), the second-highest level.
The move comes as authorities recorded tremors and the spewing of ash at the volcano since Thursday evening.
The mountain is a popular tourist destination.
“We have raised the alert level to caution and will continue evaluations to anticipate the [volcanic] activity and the risk of further eruption,” PVMBG head Kasbani said on Friday.
According to the PVMBG, Mt. Tangkuban Parahu erupted at 20:46 p.m. on Thursday, spewing white volcanic ash as high as 180 meters from the bottom of the volcano’s main crater, some 2,284 meters above sea level.
The eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a duration of 11 minutes and 23 seconds.
The seismogram also recorded another eruption at 00:43 a.m. on Friday lasting three to six minutes.
Authorities monitored the volcano’s main crater, Ratu, on early Friday morning and reported white volcanic ash spewing as high as 200 m from the bottom of the crater.
“There have been at least four tremors, including at 01:45 a.m., 03:57 a.m. and 04:06 a.m.,” Kasbani said, adding that the tremors were reoccurring.
The West Java volcano last erupted on July 28, triggering panic among tourists and local residents. The famous tourist destination was closed following the eruption.
Visitors have been warned not to approach the crater. Tourist activities were still allowed outside of a 1.5-kilometer radius from the peak, Kasbani said. (dpk/afr)
