Friday Morning Mount Semeru Eruption, Residents Asked to Stay Away from 13 Km Radius in Besuk Kobokan

JAKARTA - Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, East Java, erupted on Friday, March 6 morning with a column of ash about 400 meters above the peak.

Head of the Geological Agency Lana Saria explained that the eruption of Mount Semeru which occurred at 04.01 WIB, from the peak direction, was observed as a column of ash about 400 meters or about 4,076 meters above sea level.

Information on the eruption was immediately published to the public at 04.44 WIB through various channels owned by the Geological Agency.

In the publication it was reported that the eruption was recorded instrumentally on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 20 millimeters and a duration of about 1 minute 7 seconds.

As observed by the Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer from the Geological Agency's PVMBG, the volcanic ash was white to gray with medium intensity and directed to the east, which also led to the Besuk Kobokan area or the connecting route between Lumajang Regency and Malang Regency.

"The eruption is still ongoing while the report is being made," Lana said, quoted by Antara.

The Geological Agency reported that Mount Semeru is currently at Level III or Alert status, so the public is urged not to carry out activities in the southeast sector along the Besuk Kobokan stream to a distance of 13 kilometers from the peak.

Outside this distance, the public is also asked not to carry out activities within a radius of 500 meters from the river banks along Besuk Kobokan because they have the potential to be affected by the expansion of the hot cloud and lava flow up to a distance of 17 kilometers from the peak.

In addition, the public is prohibited from carrying out activities within a radius of 5 kilometers from the crater or the peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of incandescent stone throwing.

The Geological Agency also reminded residents to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava flows, and lahar along the river flow upstream at the top of the mountain, especially in the Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, Besuk Sat, and tributaries connected to Besuk Kobokan.