Indonesia's Mount Semeru, the highest peak on Java island, erupted on Wednesday, sending searing clouds of hot ash and volcanic material down its slopes and prompting the evacuation of more than 300 residents. The country's geology agency raised the volcano's alert to the highest level after activity intensified throughout the day.
The eruption, which began around midday and continued until dusk, produced a thick column of hot clouds that rose 2km into the air, while a mixture of rock, lava, and gas travelled up to 7km down the mountain's slopes. No casualties have been reported, but several villages were blanketed with falling ash.
According to Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the national disaster mitigation agency, more than 300 residents from the three most at-risk villages in the Lumajang district were moved to government shelters. The danger zone was widened to 8km from the crater, and authorities advised people to avoid areas along the Besuk Kobokan River, the path of the lava flow.
About 178 people, including 137 climbers, 15 porters, seven guides, and six tourism officials, were stranded at the Ranu Kumbolo monitoring post on the mountain. Endrip Wahyutama, a spokesperson for the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru national park, said the group was safe, as the post lies 4.5km from the crater on the northern slope, away from the hot cloud flow moving south-southeast. Bad weather and rain forced them to stay overnight.
Mount Semeru has erupted numerous times over the past 200 years. Its last major eruption in December 2021 killed 51 people, injured hundreds, and buried villages in mud, forcing more than 10,000 to flee. Indonesia, an archipelago of over 280 million people, sits on the Pacific ring of fire and is prone to volcanic activity.
