Mount Semeru, Indonesia's volcanic jewel, recently captivated the country with an eruption of remarkable magnitude. Columns of ash tore through the sky, triggering a series of evacuations on the island of Java.
Authorities responded promptly by raising the volcano's alert level to maximum, signaling a significant escalation in its activity. Although there were no reports of any injuries, nearly 2,000 residents were evacuated due to the potential risks.
Residents have been given strict instructions to maintain a minimum distance of 8 km due to the imminent danger of “lava flows” from the Semeru. The increase in threat level from three to four indicates that surrounding outbreaks are directly threatened, according to a spokesperson for the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Risk Management (PVMBG).
Damage also affected a bridge that was being rebuilt from an earlier eruption, and nearby villages were enveloped in a shower of volcanic ash mixed with monsoon rains. Nearly 1,969 people, including children and the elderly, were evacuated, reports the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
Although the eruption did not impact tides, Japan issued a tsunami warning for its southernmost islands. Semeru, nicknamed “The Great Mountain”, remains one of Java's most active volcanoes, a tragic reminder of its eruption exactly one year ago, which killed at least 50 people and left streets submerged in mud and ashes.
This eruption comes against the backdrop of recent earthquakes in the west of the island of Java, located about 640 km east of Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, including an earthquake last month which killed more than 300 people.