Mount Semeru erupts five times, ash reaches 1.2 km

Lumajang, E Java (ANTARA) - Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Districts in East Java, erupted five times early Thursday, sending ash columns up to 1,200 meters above its crater, Indonesia’s volcanology agency said.

The first eruption occurred at 5:11 a.m. local time, producing an ash column about 800 meters high, drifting north and northwest, according to monitoring post officer Liswanto.

A second eruption followed at 6:21 a.m., with an ash plume reaching around 1,200 meters above the summit, or 4,876 meters above sea level, Liswanto said in a written report.

The ash was white to gray with moderate intensity and drifted northeast. At the time of reporting, volcanic activity at the 3,676-meter mountain was still ongoing.

A third eruption was recorded at 6:57 a.m., producing an ash column about 1,100 meters high, or 4,776 meters above sea level, also moving northeast.

A fourth eruption occurred at 7:08 a.m., sending ash about 500 meters above the crater. The plume remained white to gray with moderate intensity and continued drifting northeast.

A fifth eruption at 7:32 a.m. generated an ash column around 700 meters high, or 4,376 meters above sea level, moving north.

Liswanto said Semeru remains at Level III (Alert), the third-highest warning, under Indonesia’s four-tier volcanic activity system.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has warned the public against activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan river within 13 kilometers of the summit.

Authorities also prohibit activity within 500 meters of riverbanks along Besuk Kobokan due to risks from pyroclastic flows and lava floods that could extend up to 17 kilometers.

People are barred from entering a five-kilometer radius around the crater due to the risk of ejected rocks and volcanic material.

Residents are urged to remain alert for potential pyroclastic flows, lava collapses, and lahars along rivers originating from the summit, including Besuk Kobokan, Bang, Kembar and Sat, as well as smaller tributaries.