Mount Semeru Eruption Accompanied by Hot Cloud Falling as Far as 2 Km

JAKARTA - Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (msl), erupted accompanied by a hot ash cloud (APG) as far as 2 kilometers (km) on Monday morning.

"There has been an eruption of Mount Semeru, East Java at 07.44 WIB with a height of the volcanic ash column observed at around 1,200 meters above the peak or 4,876 meters above sea level," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer, Sigit Rian Alfian, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 4.

According to him, the column of ash observed was white to gray with a thick intensity leaning towards the southwest. The eruption was recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 12 mm and a duration of about 3 minutes 10 seconds.

"The eruption of Mount Semeru is accompanied by hot clouds falling with a glide distance of about 2 kilometers which leads to the southeast or Besuk Kobokan," he said.

Based on the officers' records, the highest mountain on Java has erupted seven times on Monday morning since 05.38 WIB until 10.00 WIB with an eruption height ranging from 500 meters to 1,200 meters above the peak.

He explained that currently the volcanic activity of Mount Semeru is at Level III Status (Alert) with the recommendation that the public not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 km from the peak (eruption center).

Outside this distance, he continued, the public does not carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the river bank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan because they have the potential to be hit by the expansion of the hot cloud and lava flow up to a distance of 17 km from the peak.

"The public is prohibited from carrying out activities within a radius of 5 km from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of stone throwing (pijar)," he said.

He also asked the public to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava discharge, and lahar along the river/valley streams upstream of the summit of Mount Semeru.

"Especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat and the potential for lava on small rivers which are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan," he said.