Tangkuban Perahu folks prepare for the worst
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post/Bandung
Daliah, 30, and her two children have been restless throughout each night since Wednesday. The same could be said for the hundreds of other people from Sagalaherang village near Ciater hot springs tourist site on the slopes of Mount Tangkuban Perahu.
Various home appliances like television sets, tape recorders and clothing was seen piled up outside the residents' homes.
"I'm afraid to sleep at night because Mount Tangkuban Parahu can suddenly erupt," said Daliah. She said that she and the others living on the slopes of the mountain were worried when they heard the district office's vehicle traveling back and forth announcing that the volcano, situated south of Subang, had suddenly shown signs of activity in the early hours of Wednesday.
The sudden increase in activity since Wednesday has resulted in hundreds of relatively strong tremors compared to its normal activity of only two to nine very mild tremors per week.
A community figure in Sagalaherang, Sairin, 64, said that the volcanic activity of Mount Tangkuban Parahu had changed markedly. "Tremors could usually be felt before, even mild ones, but not like now," he said.
In 1983, the volcano discharged hot ash that covered the nearby tea plantation. A similar incident recurred in 1994, which was followed by mild quakes.
At least 600 vendors selling souvenirs, food and drinks for local and foreign tourists were evacuated by officials two days ago. As were the 150 or so tourists who had arrived on Wednesday morning to view the 2,084-meter mountain and witness the beauty of its craters, breathe the fresh air and view Bandung city from its peak.
Mount Tangkuban Parahu is one of the most-visited mountain tourist areas in the country, with an average of 1,000 tourists visiting daily.
Meanwhile, Jalan Cagak District Chief near Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Saad Abdul Gani, said that he had urged residents not to drink water from the Cileuleuy river, which he determined had been contaminated by sulfur.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed West Java Governor Danny Setiawan to pay close attention to the activities of the mountain, because Bandung will be the host of the Asia- Africa Conference golden jubilee on April 24.
Head of the Tangkuban Parahu Rapid Action Mitigation team, Syamsul Rizal, said that residents need not be too worried, because an alert status was still in effect and the intensity of the tremors had decreased somewhat on Friday morning to 35 "volcanic A tremors", 159 "volcanic B tremors" and two minor eruptions.
The frequency has dropped compared to a day earlier when it recorded 74 volcanic A tremors and 208 volcanic B tremors.
"The thing that we must be wary of is poisonous carbon dioxide and sulfuric gases, which occurred the last time it erupted," said Syamsul.