Since Saturday Morning, Mount Semeru Has Been Reported To Have Experienced An Eruption Six Times

Mount Semeru erupted with volcanic ash eruptions as high as 600 meters above the peak on Saturday (18/5/2024) at 08.04 WIB (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG)

LUMAJANG - Observation Officer of Mount Semeru reported that the mountain experienced six eruptions continuously by throwing volcanic ash on Saturday morning.

Mount Semeru, which has a height of 3,676 meters above sea level (masl), experienced the first eruption at 05:06 WIB with visual eruptions not being observed, but the eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 128 seconds.

"Then the second eruption was recorded at 06.09 WIB with a column height of ash observed about 500 meters above the peak. The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the south," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Liswanto in a written statement received in Lumajang, as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, May 18.

According to him, the mountain, which is located on the border of Lumajang Regency with Malang, erupted again at 07.19 WIB with a column of ash being observed to be about 500 meters above the peak or 4,176 meters above sea level.

"The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the southwest. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing," he said.

The fourth eruption occurred at 07.22 WIB with a column height of ash observed about 400 meters above the peak and a column of volcanic ash was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the southwest. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Furthermore, the eruption occurred again at 07.54 WIB with an increase in the column height of ash, which was observed to be about 500 meters above the peak or 4,176 meters above the peak. The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the southwest.

"The sixth eruption occurred at 08.04 WIB with a height of volcanic ash column increasing to 600 meters above the peak. The ash column was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the southwest. When the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing," he said.

Mount Semeru is still on Alert or Level III status, so PVMBG provides recommendations so that people do not carry out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 km from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Beyond this distance, the community does not 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 also 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.