Mount Semeru Erupts 1 Kilometre, Secondary Explosion Warning Issued for Mining Areas

Gunung Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies in East Java, experienced an eruption on Monday morning, with a volcanic ash column reaching 1 kilometre above the peak. According to Yadi Yuliandi, an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, the eruption occurred at 05:13 Western Indonesia Time, producing a thick grey ash column that drifted north. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 167 seconds. The volcano remains at Status Level III (Alert), and authorities have issued strict recommendations to prevent casualties. The Lumajang Regency Government has issued a specific warning to sand miners regarding the danger of secondary explosions from volcanic material that still retains heat in mining areas. Regent Indah Amperawati stressed that material appearing stable in the Besuk Kobokan flow could still be hazardous, especially when rain on the peak and slopes mobilises the hot material, triggering secondary explosions and lava flows.