Mount Semeru erupts, ash column reaches 800 meters

Lumajang, East Java (ANTARA) – Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang District and Malang District in East Java, erupted again on Tuesday morning, sending an ash column 800 meters above its summit.Sigit Rian Alfian, an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, said in a written report received in Lumajang that the eruption occurred at 06:11 a.m. local time.The ash column appeared white to gray with dense intensity and drifted southward. Its height reached approximately 4,476 meters above sea level.The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 112 seconds.Sigit explained that Mount Semeru remains at Level II or Alert status. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) advised residents to avoid the southeastern sector, particularly along Besuk Kobokan within an eight-kilometer radius of the summit.Beyond that radius, residents are also urged to stay at least 500 meters away from the riverbanks along Besuk Kobokan due to the potential for pyroclastic flows and lahars that may travel up to 13 kilometers from the summit.He also urged the public to avoid activities within a three-kilometer radius of the crater due to the risk of incandescent rock ejections.Residents are further advised to remain alert for possible pyroclastic flows, lava avalanches, and rain-triggered lahars along rivers and valleys that originate at the summit of Mount Semeru, including Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, Besuk Sat, and smaller tributaries connected to Besuk Kobokan. Mount Semeru is the highest active volcano on Java Island, with its Mahameru summit reaching 3,676 meters above sea level.The volcano lies within the administrative areas of Malang District and Lumajang District in East Java and forms part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.Mount Semeru is also known as the third-highest volcano in Indonesia and remains one of the country’s most active, currently holding Alert (Level II) status.According to local legend, Semeru is believed to be the dwelling place of the gods or the “nail” that stabilizes Java Island.The mountain features the well-known Ranu Kumbolo lake, a popular destination for hikers. During certain seasons, the nearby Oro-Oro Ombo Valley transforms into a purple savanna covered with blooming verbena flowers.