Ahead Of Lebaran, Mount Semeru Launches Heat Alert Again, People Are Asked To Be Alert

Mount Semeru re-launched hot clouds of avalanches which were observed from the Semeru Volcano Observation Post on Sunday, May 1. (photo: doc. between)

JAKARTA – Several people on the slopes of Mount Semeru have to face anxiety during this Eid. The trigger was none other than the highest volcano on the island of Java again launching hot clouds of avalanches as far as 3.5 kilometers on Sunday or the day before Eid 2022.

Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (masl) in Lumajang Regency, East Java, has experienced a major eruption in December 2021. There are fears that this mountain will erupt again before Lebaran appears again.

"The information we received was that a hot cloud fell on May 1, 2022 at 06.30 WIB, so we disseminated the information to residents of the Semeru slopes", said the Head of the Emergency, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Division of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Lumajang Regency, Joko Sambang, Sunday, May 1.

According to him, the hot avalanche cloud was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 300 seconds, and a sliding distance of 3.5 km from the summit towards Besuk Kobokan and Besuk Lengkong.

"BPBD continues to monitor the development of Mount Semeru's activities through reports from officers of the Semeru Volcano Observation Post (PPGA) on Mount Sawur, Lumajang Regency", Joko said as quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, based on a written report from the PPGA Semeru officer, Yuda Prinardita, regarding the activity of the highest mountain on the island of Java in the period 1 May 2022 at 00.00 to 06.00 WIB, it was visually recorded that the volcano was clearly visible, the smoke from the crater was observed to be white with a thin intensity and a height of 100-200 meters above the top of the crater.

Seismic activity recorded that Mount Semeru experienced 10 eruptions or eruptions, 15 gusts, one harmonic tremor, and one distant tectonic.

Mount Semeru is still in Alert status or level 3, so people are advised to comply with several recommendations, namely not to carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as 13 km from the summit (the center of the eruption).

And beyond that distance, people are not allowed to carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the river bank (river border) along Besuk Kobokan because it has the potential to be affected by the expansion of hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 17 km from the summit.

The public is also not allowed to move within a 5 km radius from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of throwing stones (incandescent).

The public is also asked to be aware of the potential for hot cloud avalanches (APG), lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers/valleys that originate at the summit of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat as well as the potential for lahars in small rivers which are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan.