550 Residents Fleeing Due To Mount Semeru Eruption

Evacuation of residents around Mount Semeru (Photo: Public Relations of BNPB)

JAKARTA - About 550 residents who live in the Mount Semeru area in Lumajang Regency, East Java Province, have fled. This followed Mount Semeru launched hot cloud avalanches on Tuesday, December 1, at around 01.23 WIB.

Based on preliminary data on Tuesday, December 1 at 09.00 WIB, the evacuation was scattered in two points, namely 300 people in monitoring posts, while the rest were in Supiturang Village.

"The Lumajang BPBD Quick Response Team (TRC) recorded a number of urgent needs, such as ready-to-eat food, public kitchens and masks," said Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Raditya Jati in an official statement, Jakarta, Tuesday, December 1.

Locations that have the potential to be impacted by volcanic activity are Supiturang Village, Oro-oro Ombo and Rowobaung Villages in Pronojiwo District, and Sumberwuluh Village in Candipuro District. A number of these villages are located in Lumajang Regency.

The synergy of emergency handling efforts was carried out by various parties. Emergency management led by BPBD Lumajang Regency opened a field refugee post in Kajang Room, Sumberwuluh Village, Candipuro District.

In addition, to avoid volcanic ash and implement health protocols, the BPBD and the health office distributed 4,000 masks, while the social service prepared for the operation of public kitchens. Other parties, such as the TNI, Polri and related services, also support emergency handling in the field.

PVMBG recommends several points as follows, first, the community does not carry out activities within a radius of 1 km and an area as far as 4 km in the south-southeast slope sector of the active crater, which is the area of the active crater opening of Mount Semeru (Jongring Seloko) as a hot cloud glide channel, and second, to be aware of the fall of the lava dome in Jongring Seloko Crater.

"The status of Mount Semeru's volcanic activity is at level II or 'Alert'," he said.

Looking chronologically, visually from 1 October to 30 November 2020, the volcano is clearly visible until it is covered in fog. It was observed that the main crater smoke was white and gray with a thin to medium intensity about 50-500 meters from the peak.

The eruption occurred continuously and resulted in a gray eruption column with a maximum height of 500 m from the top of the crater / peak. The rock fall from the peak has occurred intermittently since 19 October 2020.

On November 28 there was a significant increase in the number of avalanches followed by the occurrence of hot clouds of avalanche originating from the tip of the lava tongue with a maximum sliding distance of 1 km to the southeast sector of the slope.

On December 1, 2020 starting at 01.23 WIB, hot clouds were observed falling from the summit dome, with a sliding distance of 2 to 11 km towards Kobokan tomorrow in the southeast sector of the summit of Mount Semeru.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) continues to coordinate with the Lumajang Regency BPBD to get the latest developments after the hot cloud of avalanches that occurred early this morning.