Anak Krakatau volcanic activity continues picking up The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 10/08/2011 9:12 PM Anak Krakatau

volcano monitoring post reported Saturday increasing volcanic tremors at the famous volcanic island, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Head of the volcano monitoring post in Pasauran, Serang, Banten, Anton S. Pambudi said that the tremors had reached 5,883 on Saturday evening. "Data recorded at a monitoring post on Oct. 8 shows that 5,883 tremors came from the volcano as compared to 5,543 and 5,204 in the previous days," said Anton S. Pambudi an official at the Anak Krakatau volcano monitoring post in Cinangka, Serang, Banten Despite increasing volcanic activity, the the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has yet to further raise the level of alert status of the volcano. "We maintain the alert status on Siaga, which means that we prohibit local residents or visitors from approaching the volcano up to two kilometers in radius," Anto said. The authorities have raised the status of Anak Krakatau, which is Indonesian for Child of Krakatoa, to alert, the third of four alert levels, on Sept. 30. "We call the residents not to panic despite the frequent tremors. But, we tell them not to approach the volcano's 2-kilometer radius," he said. Meanwhile, residents living along the coast of Anyer admitted that they did not worry about the tremors. "My family and I felt no difference compared to the situation before the authorities raised the alert status," said Doni, a resident of Paku, Anyer. Anak Krakatau erupted briefly on Tuesday spewing ash and rock high into the air. The eruption was the biggest since January 2011 when ash was emitted more than 600 meters into the air, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. Last year, the volcano also erupted on Oct. 29 forcing the authorities to raise the alert status of the volcano. The volcanic island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people.