Alert! Potential Hot Clouds On Mount Semeru Can Come Anytime

An aerial photo of the condition of houses affected by the hot clouds from Mount Semeru in the Koboan Bulk, Pronojiwo, Lumajang, last Monday, December 13 (ANTARA PHOTO/Budi Candra Setya/wsj)

JAKARTA - An important warning was issued by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding the dangers of Mount Semeru. They said that the potential for hot clouds of avalanches would still occur on Mount Semeru.

"The potential for hot clouds of avalanches still exists in the future as well as earthquakes", said Head of PVMBG Andiani in a monitored press conference in Jakarta, Friday, December 17, as reported by Antara.

Andiani said the previous avalanche of hot clouds was approximately 3.5 kilometers. But on Thursday, December 16, hot clouds of avalanches increased to 4.5 kilometers.

PVMBG remains vigilant of the volcanic activity of Mount Semeru considering the flow of lava tongue has reached 2 kilometers from the top of the mountain.

"This lava tongue is an unstable material, so it will easily slide down", said Andiani.

The Indonesian government has raised the status of Mount Semeru from previously Alert level 2 to Alert level 3 starting December 16, 2021, at 23.00 WIB.

The decision to increase the status is because the activity of Mount Semeru is still high and there has been an increase in the sliding distance of hot clouds of avalanches and lava flows.

The government appealed to the public not to carry out activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as 13 kilometers from the top of the mountain.

Outside this distance, the community does not carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank 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 kilometers from the top of the mountain.

In addition, the public is also not allowed to enter and cannot move within a five-kilometer radius of the crater or peak of Mount Semeru because it is prone to the danger of throwing incandescent stones.