TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mount Tangkuban Parahu tourism site is temporarily closed following the volcano eruption on Friday, July 26. The decision was made based on a discussion held by related agencies.

"The meeting decided to close Tangkuban Perahu site for the next three days," said national search and rescue agency's (Basarnas) public relation coordinator, Joshua Banjarnahor, in a written statement on Saturday, July 27.

National Disaster mitigation Agency (BNPB) set the volcano at Level 1 or normal, calling on the people, visitors, and hikers to stay away from the crater, to not stay the night in the area, to not enter the crater area within a radius of 2 km.

"The people at Mount Tangkuban Perahu, visitors, and hikers aren't allowed to descend close to the area of Ratu crater and Upas crater. [They are also] barred from staying the night the area of active craters in the Tangkuban Perahu complex," said BNPB official Agus Wibowo in a written statement on late Friday, July 26.

PVMBG stated that the volcano eruption was the phreatic one; it was in the form of black mudflow from Ratu crater (Kawah Ratu). The observation, which is executed by the West Bandung disaster mitigation agency (BPBD), Subang BPBD, and PVMBG, is still ongoing.

Based on BNPB data as per Friday night, there was zero casualty or seriously injured victims. Fifteen visitors reportedly suffered from shortness of breath and had been evacuated. The Tangkuban Parahu management has closed the tourist destination located in Lembang, West Bandung, West Java.

M Rosseno Aji