Bromo Still Erupting, Authority Sets 2.5-km Radius Perimeter

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mount Bromo is still actively erupting. Since the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) raised the volcano's status to standby (level III) on September 26, Bromo continues to show high level of activities. 

"Today, at 00:00 to 06:00, we noticed grey to black smoke crater smoke with medium-to-heavy thickness and medium pressure," the National Disasters Management Agency's (BNPB) chief of data information center and public relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a written statement Friday, October 7, 2016.

The smoke's height is about 100-300 meters from the crater summit. Sutopo said are indications of magma supply, which may cause Bromo to erupt.

"The PVMBG urged the people around Bromo, including residents, tourists, and hikers to stay outside the 2.5-kilometer radius from Bromo's active crater. There should be no activity around the crater and the sea of sand," he said.

Sutopo said tourists are still allowed to enjoy the beauty of Bromo outside that radius.  

Despite Bromo's high volcanic activity, Sutopo said flights at the Abdul Rahman Saleh airport in Malang, East Java, remain normal.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Bromo's activity monitoring device has gone missing.

"PVMBG's monitoring equipment, which was placed on the sea of sand, was lost on September 18 at around 18:00. The equipment is placed inside a 1.5x2-meter concrete box that was locked."

According to Sutopo, the loss of that device will impact the monitoring process of Bromo's activities, because the authority is unable to monitor the volcano using deformation and geochemical methods without it. 

"The level of Bromo's monitoring accuracy is reduced," he said.

ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI