Mount Kerinci closed to public

PADANG, West Sumatra: The increasingly active Mount Kerinci in the Kerinci Seblat National Park has been closed to public, a park official said on Thursday.

After a week of intensifying volcanic activity, the mountain was closed because there was increased danger from explosions and dangerous gases escaping the crater, park spokesman Agung Nugroho said.

The volcano is a popular destination for domestic and foreign climbers. -- JP