Alert Status, Mount Semeru Eruption Continues Overnight Through Tuesday Morning

LUMAJANG - Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, erupted eight times on Tuesday, from 12:20 a.m. to 5:33 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with a plume reaching 1 kilometer above the summit.

"The first eruption occurred at 12:20 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an observed plume height of approximately 700 meters above the summit, and a white to gray ash column of moderate intensity moving northward," said Liswanto, an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday morning, November 25.

The subsequent eruptions occurred at 12:41 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with a plume height of 600 meters, at 12:53 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an observed plume height of approximately 800 meters above the summit, and at 1:18 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an ash plume height of 400 meters.

Then, another eruption occurred at 1:34 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an eruption height of approximately 800 meters above the summit, at 1:37 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an eruption height observed at 500 meters above the summit, and at 4:45 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an eruption height of 800 meters above the summit.

"Another eruption occurred at 5:33 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), with an eruption column height observed at approximately 1,000 meters above the summit," he said.

He said the ash column was observed to be white to gray in color with moderate intensity toward the north. At the time of this report, the eruption was still ongoing.

He explained that Mount Semeru was at Level IV, or Alert, status, so the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) had issued a number of recommendations for the public to refrain from any activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan, within 20 kilometers of the summit.

Beyond that distance, he said, the public is also asked to stay at least 500 meters away from river banks due to the potential for hot clouds and lava flows.

The public is also asked to avoid activities within an eight-kilometer radius of Mount Semeru's crater due to the potential danger of ejected incandescent rocks.

Furthermore, vigilance is needed for the potential for hot clouds, lava flows, and lahars along rivers originating at the summit of Mount Semeru, especially Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the small rivers that flow into them.