Mount Semeru erupts in early hours, accompanied by loud rumbling

Mount Semeru, which stands at 3,676 metres above sea level, erupted with a fairly strong rumbling sound in the early hours of Thursday.

“An eruption of Mount Semeru occurred at 00.52 WIB with an observed eruption column height of approximately 900 metres above the summit, or 4,576 metres above sea level,” said Mount Semeru Observation Post officer Sigit Rian Alfian in a written report received in Lumajang.

According to him, the volcanic ash column was observed to be white to grey in colour with thick intensity, leaning towards the southeast.

Mount Semeru, the highest mountain on Java Island, erupted again at 01.45 WIB with an observed eruption column of approximately 700 metres above the summit, and at 01.57 WIB it erupted again with an eruption height reaching 900 metres above the summit.

Sigit explained that Mount Semeru is currently at Level III (Alert) status, and PVMBG has issued a number of recommendations, namely that the public is prohibited from carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 km from the summit (eruption centre).

He explained that the public must also not carry out activities within a five km radius of the crater/summit of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of ejected (incandescent) rocks.

“The public also needs to be aware of the potential for pyroclastic flows, lava avalanches, and lahars along river/valley flows originating at the summit of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lahars in small rivers that are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan,” said Sigit.