JAKARTA, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian authorities have raised the alert level for Mount Bur Ni Telong volcano in Aceh province to Level III, the center said on Wednesday.
Lana Saria, the acting head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said seismic activity around Mount Bur Ni Telong has been recorded since July, with activity intensifying and becoming shallower from November to December. She noted that the peak followed a local tectonic earthquake and a series of aftershocks.
The public has been urged to remain vigilant against the possibility of phreatic eruptions, which could be triggered by tectonic earthquakes, as well as the risk of hazardous gas emissions.
Authorities have prohibited residents and visitors from entering areas within a 4-km radius of the crater and warned them to stay away from fumarole or solfatara zones, particularly during cloudy or rainy weather, when the risk of exposure to hazardous gases increases.
