The highest volcano in Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing rivers of lava and scorching gas clouds into Java Island.
According to a statement from Indonesia‘s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, the evacuation of citizens living near the volcano in the province of East Java, including elders and children, had already started and 93 individuals had already been sent to shelters.
According to National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari, who cited data from the Vulcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, monsoon rains eroded and ultimately caused the lava dome atop 12,060-foot Mount Semeru to collapse, resulting in the eruption.
There have been no reports of casualties although the sun was obscured by falling ash in several areas.
As scalding gas and lava streamed down Semeru’s slopes and approximately 4,000 feet into the sky, thick columns of ash were also ejected from the volcano.
The alert was upgraded to the highest level by Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, PVMBG, according to its chief, who texted Reuters.
Authorities issued a warning to people not to conduct any activity within five miles of Semeru’s eruption core due to the increased alert level, according to PVMBG.
According to Joko Sambang, who oversees the crisis management organization in Lumajang, East Java province, several hundred people—mostly women, children, and elders—were relocated to temporary shelters or departed for other secure places.
The latest significant eruption of Semeru occurred in December of last year when the rumbling volcano exploded violently and killed 51 people in settlements that were completely submerged in mud. More than 10,000 inhabitants had to be evacuated as a result of the eruption, along with several hundred more people who suffered severe burn injuries. About 2,970 homes were relocated by the government out of the risk area.
In the past 200 years, Semeru, also called Mahameru, has erupted multiple times. Tens of thousands of people still reside on its lush slopes, as is the situation with many of Indonesia’s 129 active volcanoes.
