Mount Semeru Erupts Again, Sprays Volcanic Ash 800 Meters From Puncak

JAKARTA - Mount Semeru in East Java has again experienced an eruption of volcanic ash eruption as high as 800 meters from the summit on Thursday, October 17.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 07.41 WIB," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Sigit Rian Alfian in a written statement, Thursday, October 17, which was confiscated by Antara.

The height of the eruption column of the mountain eruption at the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies was observed to be about 800 meters above the peak or 4,476 meters above the peak.

"The ash column was observed to be gray to black with thick intensity to the southeast and south. The eruption was recorded on the seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 126 seconds," he said.

He said, Mount Semeru is still on alert status, so the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) provides a number of recommendations, namely that people are prohibited from carrying out any activity in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as eight kilometers from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond that distance, people are not allowed to carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan, because it has the potential to be affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 13 kilometers from the summit.

"The community must also not move within a radius of three kilometers from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of throwing stones (lightning)," he said.

In addition, the public also needs to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and rain lava along rivers/valleys that originate at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lava in small rivers that are tributaries from Besuk Kobokan.