Mount Semeru Erupted 5 Times with Eruption Height Reaching 1.2 Km

JAKARTA - Mount Semeru, which is on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, erupted four times with an eruption height of 1.2 kilometers on Friday morning.

The first eruption occurred at 00.39 WIB with an unobservable eruption. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Minutes later, at 00.52 WIB, the highest mountain on Java Island erupted again with an unobservable eruption and the eruption was still ongoing when the report was made.

"Mount Semeru erupted again at 05.21 WIB with an observed eruption column height of 1.2 km above the peak or 4,876 meters above sea level (msl)," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer, Liswanto in a written report reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 8. According to him, the ash column was observed to be white to gray with medium intensity towards the northeast. When this report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

The fourth eruption occurred at 06.09 WIB with the height of the observed eruption column about 900 meters above the peak (4,576 m asl) and the ash column was observed to be white to gray with medium intensity towards the north.

"Mount Semeru erupted again at 07.50 WIB with an observed eruption column height of about 1 km above the peak and an observed ash column of gray color with a thick intensity towards the north," he said.

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 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, as well as the potential for lava on small rivers which are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan," he said.