Mount Ijen closed to tourists

Mount Ijen closed to tourists

Indra Harsaputra, Bondowoso

The Purwo Alas National Park management has declared a red alert
for Mt. Ijen in the border area between Bondowoso and Banyuwangi
in East Java, and closed the surrounding area to the public due
to intensifying volcanic activity.

Park director MZ. Hudiyono said the Volcanology and Natural
Disaster Directorate had detected the increase in volcanic
activities over the past week.

"We are taking this precautionary measure in order to prevent
any more fatalities," Hudiyono said on Saturday.

He was referring to the government's failure to issue a
warning prior to the eruption of Mt. Bromo near Probolinggo
earlier this month, which left two people killed.

Apart from tourism, the 2,443-meter-high Mt. Ijen is popular
among climbers. Sulfur quarrying has also been carried out there
for a long time.

Hudiyono said the park management had assigned four field
workers to continue monitoring the activities of the volcano,
which last erupted in 1952.

The workers will man the two entry points to the volcano in
Sempol village in Bondowoso regency and in Tamansari village in
Banyuwangi regency.

"Despite the stricter measures, some local residents insisted
on climbing the volcano to hold a ritual, while some others
insisted on continuing their sulfur quarrying. We had no choice
but to evict them," Hudiyono said.

Some local residents said they had become aware of unusual
volcanic activity on Thursday.