Swelling of the ground around Mount Slamet can be seen from observation posts in Cilik and Buncis."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center PVMBG on Wednesday raised the status of Mount Slamet in Central Java from alert level II (Waspada) to alert level III (Siaga).
Head of Information and Data Center of National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho on a message, Wednesday, stated that following the increasing volcanic activity, the PVMBG raised the Mount Slamets status on Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time (GMT+7).
The authority recorded on Tuesday (April 29), between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., that there were 30 eruption quakes, 67 quakes that resulted from blasts, and 26 loud booms heard at Mount Slamet.
The volcano also spewed thick brownish white smoke 150 to 700m high and lava reaching 1.5 thousand meter radius from the mounts peak.
"Swelling of the ground around Mount Slamet can be seen from observation posts in Cilik and Buncis. It shows that the volcano is inflating," Nugroho observed.
The authority issued a recommendation of a four-kilometer radius of exclusion zone. No camping, hiking, tourism activities are allowed within the radius.
There is no evacuation order as the villages around the mounts are still outside the exclusion zone. Peoples activities remain normal.
"The nearest village, Jurang Mangu of Pulosari Subdistrict of Pemalang, is located 10 to 12km from the Mount Slamets peak," Nugroho explained.
The BNPB is coordinating with the regional disaster mitigation agencies (BPBD) of five districts located around Mount Slamet; Pemalang, Banyumas, Brebes, Tegal and Purbalingga for mitigation measure and socialization to the society.
On the same day, The Geology Disaster Technology Development and Research Center (BPPTKG) of Yogyakarta raised the status of Mount Merapi in Central Java from normal (alert level I) to Waspada (alert level II) due to increasing volcanic activity.
(T.A059/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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