Mount Semeru Erupts Again Accompanied By Hot Clouds As Far As 7 Km
JAKARTA - Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (masl), experienced an eruption accompanied by a 7 kilometer hot cloud slide from the summit this afternoon.
"The eruption in the form of hot clouds is still ongoing, the sliding distance has reached 7 km from the summit, and the eruption is still ongoing when the report is being made," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Mukdas Sofian, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 19.
According to him, the eruption of Mount Semeru occurred at 16.00 WIB with an eruption column height of about 2,000 meters above the peak or 5,676 meters above the peak.
"The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity to the north and northwest. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing," he said.
The eruption of Mount Semeru was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 40 mm and a temporary duration of about 16 minutes 40 seconds.
He explained that Mount Semeru is at Alert or Level II status with the recommendation that people do not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as 8 km from the summit (the center of the eruption).
"Outside of that distance, people do not 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 km from the summit," he said.
He also appealed to the public not to move within a radius of 2.5 km from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of throwing stones (pijar).
"The public is also asked to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers/valleys that originate at the peak of the Semeru Volcano, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat as well as the potential for lava in small rivers which are tributaries from Besuk Kobokan," he said.