Kediri (ANTARA News) - Rain which poured down on an area near Mount Kelud caused eight local and national media journalists to be trapped on one of the mountain`s slopes until Friday afternoon.
They had been urged to immediately leave the mountain as continuing tremors had created fear it would soon erupt, according to a report sent by ANTARA News correspondent Irfan Ilmie from a place near Mt Kelud.
The eight journalists were still trapped on one of Mt Kelud`s slopes as it was raining and they had no transportation.
Head of the Center for Volcanological and Geological Disasters Mitigation Surono had asked the journalists to immediately leave the location as hundreds of volcanic tremors were occurring.
Mount Kelud which was put on the country`s second-highest alert level last month had shown several alarming signs, indicating it may erupt, he said, adding: "I`m scared about Kelud."
"Kelud is now on the point of no return."
The number of volcanic earthquakes at Mount Kelud, 90 km (55 miles) southwest of Indonesia`s second-largest city Surabaya, has risen to as high as 23 in one day, compared with a maximum of 15 a day just before its last eruption in 1990, Surono said.
The 1,731-meter (5,712-foot) volcano`s "deformation" or expansion had increased, and gas and chemical levels had risen, while the temperature of the lake in the volcano`s crater was climbing more rapidly, hitting 37.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, compared with 32 degrees in August.
Surono said he had a text message on his mobile phone ready to send out to government and rescue officials if he decides to put the volcano in East Java on the highest state of alert ahead of a likely eruption.
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