Sileri Dieng Crater Sprays Mud, Banjarnegara BPBD Asks Residents To Stay Calm

Photo archive - Screenshot of surveillance camera (CCTV) Sileri Crater in Dieng Plateau, Kepakisan Village, Batur District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java/ANTARA HO

JAKARTA - The Acting Head of the Banjarnegara Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency, Tursiman, appealed to the public to remain calm and not be influenced by hoaxes related to the increase in Sileri Crater activity in Dieng Plateau, Kepakisan Village, Banjarnegara, Central Java.

"Based on the results of our coordination with PVMBG (Vulcanology Center and Geological Disaster Mitigation), especially the Dieng Volcano Observation Post, this morning there was indeed a mudflow from Sileri Crater," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, January 6.

According to him, the mudflow is not dangerous because apart from being cold mud material, the burst distance is only 40-50 meters.

Nevertheless, he appealed to the public and tourists to comply with the recommendations issued by PVMBG, namely not to enter a radius of 500 meters from the Sileri Crater center and not to be allowed to spend the night around the crater.

In addition, BPBD Banjarnegara Regency together with Pos PGA Dieng also increased monitoring of Weigh Crater activities in Sumberejo Village, Batur District, Banjarnegara.

"According to the recommendations of PVMBG, the public and visitors / tourists should not enter Weigh Crater and also be vigilant when digging the surrounding soil because it has the potential to be threatened with toxic CO2 gas," he said.

A number of tourist attractions in the Dieng Plateau, especially the Arjuna Temple Complex, Sikidang Crater, and some of the surrounding destinations are safe for tourists because they are quite far from Sileri Crater.

"The Arjuna Temple Complex and several surrounding tourist attractions are still safe to visit because they are quite far from Sileri Crater," said Tursiman, who is also the Head of the Banjarnegara Regency Tourism and Culture Office.

Previously, PGA Pos officer Dieng Aziz Yuliawan said Sileri Crater on Monday (6/1) at 10.58 WIB experienced a phreatic eruption in Sileri Crater in the form of mudflows as far as approximately 50 meters to the north and northwest approximately 25 meters to the west and approximately 5 meters to the south.

According to him, the eruption was recorded on a digital seismograph with a duration of about 56.8 seconds and a maximum amplitude of 42.7 millimeters.

"Visual thick white smoke eruptions with a height of about 70 meters above the surface of the crater water. The phreatic eruption on January 6, 2025, was not preceded by signs of significant increase in volcanic activity both visually and instrumentally in the form of seismicity and/or geochemicals before the eruption occurred," he said.

The seismicity has not increased and Sileri Crater water temperature in the last three days fluctuates between 63-71.5 degrees Celsius or normal and the temperature sensor is still functioning after the eruption.

According to him, the mudflow was the first time since PVMBG upgraded Sileri Crater status from Normal (Level I) to Alert (Level II) on December 19, 2024 at 18.00 WIB, in line with the increase in activity in the form of a phreatic eruption from the eastern part of the crater which occurred on December 18, 2024 at 15.12 WIB.

"The phreatic eruption was recorded on a digital seismograph with an earthquake duration of about 200 seconds and a maximum amplitude of 42.7 millimeters. The phreatic eruption was a mudflow with a distribution to the north-east of approximately 100 meters, to the west approximately 25 meters, and to the south approximately 10 meters," said Aziz.