Mount Semeru, situated on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies in East Java, experienced a series of volcanic eruptions early Sunday morning, triggering a pyroclastic flow that reached 3.5 kilometers from its summit. The initial eruption occurred at 2:02 a.m., sending an ash column approximately 1,000 meters above the mountain’s peak.
According to Yadi Yuliandi, an observation post officer, the thick gray ash column drifted westward. Seismographic data recorded the eruption with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm, lasting for about 3 minutes and 29 seconds. The 3,676-meter-high volcano continued its activity with subsequent eruptions throughout the morning.
A second eruption at 6:55 a.m. produced an ash column around 800 meters high. This ash, described as white to gray, drifted southwest and west, with activity recorded for 134 seconds. Seven minutes later, another eruption was observed, projecting ash up to 600 meters above the summit. A fourth eruption followed at 7:53 a.m., with an ash column again reaching 800 meters, although visibility at 8:50 a.m. was obscured by fog.
Mount Semeru remains at Level III, or Standby, alert status. Authorities have issued critical safety advisories for the public. Residents are urged to avoid all activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan, specifically within a 13-kilometer radius from the summit.
Additionally, a minimum distance of 500 meters from riverbanks along Besuk Kobokan is advised due to the risk of expanding pyroclastic flows and lava, which could extend up to 17 kilometers. A 5-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater is also enforced to prevent exposure to ejected incandescent rocks. Officials have also warned of potential pyroclastic flows, lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers originating from the summit, including Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat.
Source: Original
