Sudden Eruption Triggers Major Rescue Operation
Indonesian authorities have successfully assisted more than 170 climbers to safety following a sudden and dramatic eruption of Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on Java island. The seismic activity of the volcano indicates that the eruption is likely to continue, prompting a swift and large-scale rescue effort.
Climbers Stranded at Campsite Amidst Volcanic Fury
The incident unfolded on Wednesday when approximately 178 people, including climbers, porters, guides, tourism officials, and tourists, began their ascent of the 3,676-meter (12,060-foot) mountain in the Lumajang district of East Java province. They became stranded at the Ranu Kumbolo camping area as the volcano unleashed its power.
Priatin Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, confirmed their safety in a video news conference, stating, "They are safe and now being helped to return." Officials confirmed that the camping area is located outside the main danger zone of 8 kilometres from the crater on the mountain's northern slope, which was not in the path of the hot cloud flow. However, the group was potentially exposed to falling volcanic ash.
Heightened Alert and Widespread Impact
From midday to dusk on Wednesday, Mount Semeru produced a series of searing clouds of hot ash, rock, lava, and gas, which travelled up to 13 kilometres (8 miles) down its slopes. A thick column of hot clouds rose an impressive 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) into the air.
This intense activity led scientists to raise the volcano's alert status to the highest level. Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, reported a series of pyroclastic density currents and incandescent avalanches of volcanic material descending through the Besuk Kobokan River valley. He warned that the volcano's seismicity indicates the eruption is continuing at a high level and that authorities are considering expanding the current danger zone.
In a precautionary move, nearly 1,000 residents from three high-risk villages in Lumajang were evacuated to government shelters. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported from this event. However, local media reported that two motorcyclists crashed due to hot ash on a bridge, sustaining severe burns.
This eruption is a stark reminder of the volcano's destructive potential. Its last major eruption in December 2021 killed 51 people and forced more than 10,000 from their homes. Indonesia, situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," remains persistently vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
