8.21.2008

Visitors banned from hiking on Anak Krakatau

Serang, Banten,(ANTARA News) - Visitors have been banned from hiking on Mt Anak Krakatau (GAK) in the Sunda Strait because the volcano is spewing red-hot and hazardous materials.

"The Vulcanological and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center only recommends visitors to visit within a radius of one kilometer from the eruption center," Jumono, a staffer monitoring the volcano`s activity in Pasauran village, Cinangka subdistrict, Serang regency, said Saturday.

He said the Vulcanological and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center had declared the vulcano and its surroundings to be in a level-2 alert status as GAK was still producing volcanic quakes.

Should the spewing of red-hot materials with 1,500 celcius degrees hit someone it will likely kill the person, Jumono said, adding that this had happened to a Frenchman in 2001.

At present the eruption only happened in the southern part of Mt Anak Krakatau, he said, adding that it had 120 eruptions and quakes throughout Monday, prompting the Volcanological and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center to declare the volcano and its surroundings in a level-2 alert status.(*)

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