A Number Of Villages Affected By Mount Semeru Volcanic Ash In Lumajang

Mount Semeru (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Six villages in Lumajang Regency, East Java, were affected by the volcanic ash rain of Mount Semeru. This is after the mountain which has an altitude of 3,676 meters above sea level launched a hot cloud of avalanches.

"Volcanic ash poured down on six villages in two sub-districts, namely Candipuro and Pasrujambe Districts", said Head of Preparedness and Logistics Prevention and Logistics of Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Lumajang Regency, Wawan Hadi Siswoyo, in Lumajang, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, February 2.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday at 06.36 WIB, a hot cloud from Mount Semeru occurred with a sliding distance of about 2 kilometers from the tongue of the lava, causing blackish white smoke to rise high towards the north.

"The six villages affected by the volcanic ash of Mount Semeru are Addrejo Village, Tumpeng Village, Palm Oil Village, Penanggal Village, and Sumbermujur Village in Candipuro District, while the other is in Pasrujambe Village in Pasrujambe District", he said.

He said the volcanic ash rain fell according to the direction of the wind and was monitored with light to moderate intensity for two hours in the six villages.

"We have prepared thousands of masks to anticipate the rain of Mount Semeru's volcanic ash, so that they can be distributed at any time when volcanic ash rains", he said.

Meanwhile, one of the residents of Addrejo Village, Solikan, said that the ash rain was pouring down his village for only one to two hours, then the rain fell causing the ash rain to no longer be seen.

"The volcanic ash stuck to my motorbike when it was parked in the yard of the Addrejo Village Office, but after it rained there was no more volcanic ash", he said.

The status of Mount Semeru, which is the highest mountain on the island of Java, is at level II or alert, so people are encouraged to comply with the PVMBG recommendations.

Previously, volcanic ash rained in five sub-districts in Lumajang Regency after the mountain which has an altitude of 3,676 meters above sea level erupted and launched hot clouds of avalanches as far as 4 kilometers on January 16, 2021, namely Candipuro, Pasrujambe, Senduro, Gucialit and Pasirian Districts.