© Komodo Park.comTwin volcanoes in Flores Island, Indonesia.
The government has requested that local administrations remain on the alert for severe risks of volcanic eruptions, as the number of volcanoes showing abnormal activity continued to raise.
As of Friday, activity in 22 volcanoes was categorized as above normal, with six at alert level three and 16 at level two. Volcano status ranges from level one, which is normal, to four, which is the highest alert.
The Volcanology and Geophysical Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) raised the status of Papandayan, one of the major tourist destinations in Garut, West Java, to alert level three on Friday.
"There were 48 shallow volcanic earthquakes detected, with one deep volcanic earthquake and a white cloud emitted as high as 20 meters on Thursday," National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
Sutopo added that his office had prepared contingency plans to anticipate worst-case scenarios if
Papandayan erupts.
"If Papandayan erupts, it would impact 171,744 people living in the five subdistricts and 20 villages," he said.
Indonesia has been dubbed the world's most disaster-prone country for its frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods and droughts.