Mount Semeru Eruption Accompanied By Hot Clouds Falls

The Eruption of Semeru was recorded on the seismograph of the Mount Semeru Observation Post in Sumberwuluh Village, Lumajang Regency, Thursday (28/3/2024) afternoon. ANTARA/HO-PVMBG.

Mount Semeru, which is located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, erupted accompanied by hot clouds of avalanches on Thursday at 15.18 WIB.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 15.18 WIB. Visual eruptions were not observed," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Ghufron Alwi, in a written report received in Lumajang Regency as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, March 28.

The eruption of Mount Semeru in the form of hot clouds of avalanches was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 37 mm with a duration of about 27 minutes.

The eruption in the form of hot clouds falling was unknown because visual monitoring was constrained by fog and at that time hot clouds were still ongoing.

Currently, Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (masl), is at Level III (Alert) Status, with the recommendation of not carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 km from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond that distance, people are not allowed to carry out activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank (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.

Then residents are prohibited from doing activities within a 5 km radius from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of throwing stones (pijar).

The public is also asked to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and lahars along rivers/valleys that originate at the peak of the Semeru Volcano, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat as well as the potential for lahars in small rivers that are tributaries of Besuk Kobokan.