Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is facilitating the evacuation of climbers from Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, to move them out of danger as volcanic activity increases.
Basarnas Deputy for Operations and Preparedness, Edy Prakoso, on Thursday said his team has been monitoring and collecting data since receiving information about increased activity on Mount Semeru.
Although the climbers’ post was not directly affected by the eruption, their safety remained a priority, he stated.
“Two teams of Basarnas personnel from the Surabaya SAR Office and the Jember SAR Post are in the Ranupani area to coordinate with officers at the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (TNBTS) ticketing office. The teams are also preparing emergency evacuation options if needed,” Prakoso added.
Basarnas confirmed that data from Ranupani post officers recorded 187 people in the Ranu Kumbolo area, consisting of 129 climbers, one officer, two rescuers, 24 PPGST (Registered Mount Semeru Climbing Guide) members, 25 guides, and six personnel from the Ministry of Tourism.
“Everyone was instructed to descend gradually from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. local time, and the process is still ongoing,” Prakoso informed.
According to him, the first batch of descending climbers was expected to arrive at Ongger Post around 13:00, but they arrived earlier than expected, so the descent process may continue until Thursday afternoon.
Basarnas personnel ensured that every climber arriving at the post continued to be registered, so all individuals listed at Ranu Kumbolo could be confirmed to have safely exited the hiking trail.
“Coordination with TNBTS continues to monitor potential changes in conditions. The increased activity of Mount Semeru must be addressed with vigilance to ensure the safety of all climbers,” Prakoso stressed.
The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) reported that Mount Semeru erupted on Wednesday (November 19) at 16:00 local time, with an eruption column reaching approximately 2,000 meters above the summit.
During the eruption, Mount Semeru emitted a pyroclastic flow extending up to seven kilometers from the summit, with a thick gray ash column observed to the north and northwest.
The eruption, recorded on a seismogram at the Lumajang volcano monitoring post, had a maximum amplitude of 40 mm and a duration of approximately 16 minutes and 40 seconds.
Mount Semeru’s eruptive activity was confirmed to have ended at 18:11 on Wednesday, but the local government and the Geological Agency maintained its status at Level IV, or “Alert,” to anticipate further activity.
