Mount Semeru erupts six times, ash column reaches 1.3 km
Lumajang, East Java (ANTARA) - Mount Semeru, on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies in East Java, erupted six times on Friday, with eruption columns reaching up to 1.3 kilometres above the summit.
The first eruption occurred at 06:29 WIB, with an eruption column observed at approximately 1.1 km above the summit. The ash column was observed to be white to grey in colour with thick intensity, drifting towards the south-west. The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 165 seconds.
“The second eruption occurred at 07:39 WIB, with an eruption column observed at approximately 1.3 km above the summit. The ash column was observed to be white to grey in colour with moderate intensity, drifting towards the north and north-east,” said Liswanto, an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, in a written report received in Lumajang.
Semeru then erupted again at 08:57 WIB, with an eruption column observed at approximately 1.2 km above the summit. The ash column was observed to be white to grey in colour with moderate intensity, drifting towards the north-east.
The fourth eruption occurred at 09:29 WIB and the fifth at 09:54 WIB, with eruption columns observed at approximately 500 metres above the summit.
He explained that Mount Semeru’s volcanic activity currently stands at Level III status (Alert), with a recommendation that the public refrain from any activity in the south-eastern sector along Besuk Kobokan up to 13 kilometres from the summit (the eruption centre).
Beyond that distance, he said, the public should not undertake activities within 500 metres of the riverbanks (river boundaries) along Besuk Kobokan, as there is potential for being caught by the expansion of pyroclastic flows and lahars up to 17 kilometres from the summit.
“The public is prohibited from engaging in activities within a five-kilometre radius of the Mount Semeru crater/summit due to the risk of incandescent rock ejection,” he said.
He urged the public to remain vigilant about the potential for pyroclastic flows, lava avalanches and lahars along the river channels and valleys that originate from the summit of Mount Semeru.
“In particular along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lahars in the small rivers that are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan,” said Liswanto.