BANDA ACEH: Indonesia has raised the alert level at the Mount Bur Ni Telong volcano in Aceh to its second highest. This follows a spike in volcanic activity and a series of earthquakes. On Tuesday night, the volcano recorded at least seven earthquakes felt up to 5 kilometers away. Seismographs also detected multiple shallow and deep volcanic quakes, along with tectonic quakes. Lana Saria, acting head of the Geological Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said, "Aftershocks following local tectonic events indicate magma activity is easily triggered by tectonic disturbances." She added that seismic activity has been increasing since July and became more intense recently. Visual checks confirmed the volcano is visible with no crater smoke. However, officials warned of possible eruptions including phreatic blasts and dangerous volcanic gases near fumaroles and solfataras—natural openings that release steam and gases. Authorities advised residents and visitors to keep at least 4 kilometers away from the crater and avoid fumarole zones during cloudy or rainy weather due to life-threatening gas concentrations. This alert comes as Bener Meriah, the area around the volcano, is still recovering from deadly floods and landslides earlier in June. These disasters hit 52 locations across Sumatra, killing over 1,150 people, with 165 missing and thousands injured. In Bener Meriah alone, 31 died and 14 are missing. More than 2,500 people in villages near the volcano have been evacuated to government shelters. Tagore Abubakar, Bener Meriah's regent, expressed concern that heavy rains mixed with volcanic activity could worsen the situation and complicate evacuations. Indonesia, home to over 120 active volcanoes, is prone to such events because it lies on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire," a zone of intense seismic activity.