REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- Denpasar Search and Rescue (SAR) has called on tourists as well as the locals to not climbing Mount Agung, due to its critical condition which now remained in the highest warning level IV.
Ketut Ardana, head of Denpasar Search and Rescue office said here on Thursday that people need to follow all instructions issued by the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG).
According to the Volcanology Center, people should avoid the volcano and area within 8-10 kilometers radius from the crater.
Although Indonesian authority has issued a warning to avoid Mount Agung, a Russian tourist, Evgnil Cklippikov (36) reportedly insisted to climb the volcano.
After receiving report from the locals, Ardana deployed some of his rangers from the Aju Observation Post in Selat, Karangasem district to immediately evacuating the tourist.
However, before the rangers evacuated Cklippikov, he was already on his way down from the crater. The rangers found the tourist arrived at Pasar Agung Temple at 11.50 am local time.
Following the incident, the rangers take the Russian tourist to Pasebaya emergency post for a probe.
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After being questioned, Cklippikov admitted that he climbed the volcano at 2 am local time on Thursday (Dec 28) through the Pasar Agung Temple, Yeh Kori, Jungutan Village.
When reaching the summit, Cklippikov who on that time wearing long-sleeves blue t-shirt, had documented the situation on the crater at 6 am.
According to the two-minutes video recorded by Cklippikov, some flames and smokes were seen at the crater.
However, Cklippikov was not the first tourist violate the Volcanology Center's warning.
Villagers lived at the volcano's foothill also reported two foreign tourists also had climbed the volcano.
The Ukrainian tourist, Vorobiel (28), and the Latvian, Slisans (41) were found by the locals already on their way down at Pasar Agung temple.
Meanwhile, every six hours on 12 am to 6 pm, the Volcanology Center regularly observes the volcanic activity on Mount Agung.
The latest record displayed that the volcano had spewed high-intensity white and grey smokes which rose to 500 meter from the crater. Apart from the smokes, the volcano also released the molten materials for four times, and had one shallow volcanic tremor, the PVMBG reported.