Semeru Eruption Accompanied by Hot Cloud Ejection up to 4.5 Km

Mount Semeru, which is on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, erupted accompanied by a Hot Cloud Fall (APG) with a glide distance of 4.5 kilometers on Friday morning.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru on Friday at 07.21 WIB with an observed eruption column height of about 1,000 meters above the peak or 4,676 meters above sea level (msl)," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Mukdas Sofian as reported by ANTARA, Friday, June 19.

The observed ash column was white to gray with a thick intensity inclined to the north and northwest. The eruption was recorded on the seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of ± 5 minutes 33 seconds.

"The eruption of Mount Semeru is accompanied by hot clouds falling with a glide distance of approximately 4.5 kilometers towards Besuk Kobokan," he said.

Based on the officers' records, Mount Semeru, which is the highest mountain on the island of Java, has experienced six eruptions with an eruption height of 700 meters to 1,000 meters above the peak.

He explained that currently the volcanic activity of Mount Semeru is at Level III or Alert status with a 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, the public should also 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," he said.

Then the public also should not be active within a radius of 5 km from the crater / peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of stone throwing (pijar).

The public is also asked to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava ejection, and lahar along the river/valley streams upstream of the peak 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," said MukdasSofian.