Mount Semeru Erupts Again, Alert Status Extended

Eruption of Mount Semeru. (Doc PVMBG)

LUMAJANG Mount Semeru, which is located on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies, East Java, erupted again on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, with an eruption height of 700 meters above the peak of Mahameru.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 07.11 WIB. The height of the eruption column was observed about 700 meters above the peak or about 4,376 meters above sea level," said the officer of the Mount Semeru Observation Post, Liswanto, as quoted by ANTARA.

Liswanto explained that the volcanic ash column that was observed was white to gray with moderate intensity to the north. Until this report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Officers noted that the eruption was the fourth on the day. Previously, there was three eruptions with visually unobserved eruptions. The first eruption occurred at 01.05 WIB and was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 152 seconds. The second eruption occurred at 03.55 WIB and was recorded similar, with an amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 162 seconds.

At 07.01 WIB, the mountain, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level, erupted again and the visual eruption was also not observed. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Liswanto said that Mount Semeru is still on alert status, and the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) provides a number of recommendations. The public is asked not to carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as eight kilometers from the summit (the center of the eruption).

In addition, people are not allowed to move within a 500 meter radius of 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 13 kilometers from the summit.

"People should also not move within a radius of 3 kilometers from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru, because they are prone to the dangers of lightning," explained Liswanto.

In addition, he appealed to the public to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and rain lava along rivers or valleys that originate at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat. Also be aware of the potential for lava in small rivers that are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan.