Indonesian officials have escalated the danger warning for Mount Bur Ni Telong, a volcano in Aceh province, to its second-highest tier. This decision follows a significant surge in volcanic earthquakes and overall activity, raising fears of a potential eruption.
Increased Seismic Activity Triggers Alert
The 2,624-meter (8,600-foot) stratovolcano located in Bener Meriah regency recorded a series of tremors on Tuesday evening. At least seven earthquakes were felt by residents roughly 5 kilometers away. According to Lana Saria, the acting head of the Geological Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, monitoring equipment detected a concerning pattern.
Seismographs registered seven shallow volcanic earthquakes, fourteen deep volcanic quakes, and two tectonic earthquakes. Based on this combined visual and instrumental data showing heightened volcanic unrest, scientists officially raised the alert level from III to II on Tuesday evening.
"Aftershocks following local tectonic events indicate magma activity is easily triggered by tectonic disturbances," Saria explained. She noted that the increase in seismic activity began in July and has grown more intense and shallow over the past two months.
Eruption Risks and Immediate Precautions
While visual monitoring shows the volcano clearly with no smoke from its crater, authorities are warning of several dangers. These include possible phreatic explosions (steam-driven eruptions) and the release of hazardous volcanic gases near fumarole and solfatara zones—openings in the earth that emit steam and gases.
Officials have urgently advised residents and tourists to stay at least 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) away from the crater. They have also warned people to avoid the fumarole and solfatara areas, especially during cloudy or rainy weather when deadly gas concentrations can accumulate.
A Region Already Reeling from Disaster
The heightened volcanic alert comes as the Bener Meriah area struggles to recover from a recent natural catastrophe. Earlier this month, catastrophic floods and landslides struck 52 cities and regencies on Sumatra island. The National Disaster Management Agency reported the disaster left 1,154 people dead, 165 missing, and over 7,000 injured.
In Bener Meriah regency alone, 31 people died and 14 remain missing. The disasters disrupted access to remote villages and displaced more than 2,100 residents. Authorities now fear that heavy rainfall combined with escalating volcanic activity could create even more dangerous conditions and hinder potential evacuation operations.
As a precaution, more than 2,500 residents from the four highest-risk villages have been moved to government shelters, stated Tagore Abubakar, the regent of Bener Meriah. He added that some residents have also chosen to flee to relatives' homes in the neighboring Central Aceh regency.
Indonesia, an archipelago nation of over 280 million people, sits on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire." This geographical position makes it home to more than 120 active volcanoes, with Mount Bur Ni Telong being the latest to show signs of significant unrest.
