Indonesia's Mount Bromo makes small eruption

Indonesia's Mount Bromo makes small eruption

2010-11-27 00:03:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEW) — Indonesia's Mount Bromo, located in the East Java province, on Friday erupted and spewed hot ash, although authorities say it poses no threat at the moment.

The eruption occurred at around 5:40 p.m. local time, causing a 500-meter dark gray cloud to form at Bromo's peak. Slightly before the eruption, a small tremor was registered as well, but authorities said the eruption was limited to Bromo's crater so residents were in no need of evacuation.

"Residents are not being asked to evacuate at this time," said Zulfikar, Probolinggo Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner. "Bromo's eruption is small and poses no threat whatsoever."

However, officials said readiness to anticipate the worst possibilities already exist as military and police personnel are prepared to evacuate residents if necessary. The National Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has forecasted further small eruptions and aftershocks.

On Tuesday, Bromo's status was raised to "alert," but only hours later it was raised again to "beware," the highest alert level, which is issued before an eruption. Residents are aware of Bromo's status and have not panicked to the news.

Mount Bromo is located in East Java, and is one of the region's main tourist attractions. But with the increased activity, the national park management has warned climbers by closing off the area at a radius of 3 kilometers (2 miles) from its crater.

Bromo usually erupts once a year, but it rarely spews out debris or hat ash. It is located around 120 kilometers (70 miles) south of Surabaya, East Java's biggest city, and about 275 kilometers (170 miles) east of Mount Merapi, which has killed at least 322 people with its recent eruptions.

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