Visitors Drawn, Not Spooked, by Bromo Eruption
Probolinggo, East Java. Visitors have flocked to East Java’s Mount Bromo despite a closure prompted by an ongoing eruption, a local businessman says.
Digdoyo Djamaluddin, the chairman of the Probolinggo chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association, or PHRI, said on Friday that the eruption was attracting rather than scaring off visitors, with many curious to see the thick columns of volcanic ash being belched from the crater.
He said tourists were coming from as far away as Germany just to see “the smoke mountain.” He added that the best time to see the sight was at 6 or 7 in the morning.
“For those of us who live here, we’re accustomed to it because this is what Bromo’s like,” Digdoyo.
He said local officials had taken precautions to keep tourists safe, including designating viewing areas a safe distance from the volcano and requiring visitors to wear face masks and use umbrellas to protect against the constant rain of volcanic debris.
For all its scenic qualities, the ongoing eruption has disrupted the lives of locals. The volcanic ash has damaged crops and forced residents to remain indoors.
The volcano has been active for some time, but began showing elevated signs of activity last month, throwing columns of ash up into the atmosphere. On Tuesday, it began spewing lava, which was only visible at night due to the thickness of the ash plume.
Officials say they are bracing for a potential evacuation of the more than 30,000 residents living around the volcano. They have already declared a 2.5-kilometer exclusion radius around Bromo’s crater and closed off hiking trails on the nearby Mount Semeru that could be affected by the hot gases and ash from Bromo.
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