Alert Status, BPBD Pagaralam Urges Climbers Not To Approach Dempo Crater Radius 1 Km

Mount Dempo Pagaralam, South Sumatra. (ANTARA/M Imam Pramana)

PALEMBANG - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Pagaralam, South Sumatra (Sumsel), appealed to climbers not to approach the crater of Dempo with a radius of one kilometer. This is because the volcanic activity of Mount Dempo is still at Level II or Alert. "We urge climbers or tourists not to approach the crater area of Mount Dempo because the volcanic activity of Mount Dempo is currently still at Level II or Alert," said Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of Pagaralam City BPBD Anjas Hariansyah in Pagaralam, Antara, Thursday, August 8. Although climbing activities before August 17, 2024 or Independence Day are not prohibited, he said, climbers still have to report to the Dempo Registration Center (Brigid) if they are going to climb so that they are registered. "The climbers are expected to follow all directions so as not to be exposed to gas that contains poison from the crater of Mount Dempo," he said. Head of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Muhammad Wafid said visitors/tourists should not approach and spend the night (camping) at the crater activity center of Mount Marapi - Mount Dempo within a radius of one kilometer, as well as the crater opening direction as far as two kilometers to the northern sector, considering that craters are the epicenter of eruptions and volcanic gases that can endanger life. He also asked the public not to be provoked by irresponsible news regarding the activities of Mount Dempo and to follow directions from the authorized agency, namely the Geological Agency. The resummation of events in the crater of Mount Dempo during 2024 as follows, namely on 27 and 31 May 2024, an earthquake of eruption with visuals in the form of smoke emission above a white to gray crater lake with a maximum height of 500 and 200 meters above the crater lake and eruption material reaching a maximum distance of 300 meters from the crater center.

Then on August 5, 2024, the water from the crater lake is green tosca and on August 8, 2024, the water from the crater lake is gray. Then on August 7– August 8, 2024, there was no significant eruption or activity recorded.