Indonesia's Bromo Tourism Not Affected by Mt. Semeru's Hot Ash Clouds

MALANG, KOMPAS.com - Tourism activities on Mount Bromo in East Java, part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park area, were not affected by the Mount Semeru spewing hot ash clouds on Sunday, Dec. 4.

"Currently, there is no impact [on Mt. Bromo tourism] because the direction of the hot clouds is towards the southeast," the national park's Head of Data, Evaluation, and Public Relations Sarif Hidayat told State News Antara on Sunday.

Although the Bromo tourism area was not directly affected by the increasing volcanic activity of Mount Semeru, he still advised tourists to be vigilant.

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According to him, all tourists in Mt. Bromo must follow the national park's officers' instructions. His party will also continue to monitor the dynamics of Mount Semeru activities from several nearby resorts.

"The dynamic [activities] of Mount Semeru do not directly affect Mt. Bromo. However, this is an unpredictable natural event, so tourists should remain vigilant," he said.

Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru are located in the same national park. Meanwhile, the location of Mount Bromo covers four regions, namely the districts of Malang, Probolinggo, Lumajang, and Pasuruan.

Mount Semeru, soaring at 3.676 meters above sea level, spewed hot clouds on Sunday at 02:46 am local time.

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The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has raised the status of Mount Semeru to Level 4 or Caution.

The Lumajang Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) called on the public not to do activities around the slopes of Mount Semeru before the condition is declared as conducive.

"The BPBD quick response team advised the surrounding community to remain vigilant and calm [while] going to a safe point," Lumajang BPBD's Head of Emergency Joko Sambang said.

He urged the public not to share unreliable information and wait for official information from PVMBG which will be distributed by Lumajang BPBD.

Source: State News Antara