Exactly one year after its previous massive eruption, which killed dozens, Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Sunday, shooting scorching ash clouds a mile into the sky and flowing rivers of lava down its flank, forcing the evacuation of over 2,000 people.
Authorities raised the alert level to the highest level in response to the eruption of Java’s tallest mountain, located around 800 kilometres southeast of Jakarta. The plume from the volcano reached a height of 50,000 feet (15 km), said Japan’s Meteorology Agency, which was monitoring for the possibility of a tsunami there.
The eruption on the eastern part of Java island, some 640 km (400 miles) east of the capital Jakarta, follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, PVMBG, raised the level of volcanic activity to IV from III, its chief said in a text message. With the raised alert level, authorities warned residents not to conduct any activities within 8 km (5 miles) of Semeru’s eruption centre, PVMBG said.
Some residents nearby have evacuated independently to safer buildings like mosques and schools, according to a statement from the regional government of Lumajang, where Semeru is located.
The regional administration banned activities near the volcano, including the movement of sand trucks, as they could affect evacuation process.
