Mount Semeru Erupts, Eruption Reaches 700 Meters Above The Peak

Mount Semeru erupted again with an eruption as high as 700 meters above the peak on Monday (12/5/2025) morning. (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG)

LUMAJANG - Mount Semeru erupted again with an eruption as high as 700 meters above the peak (Mahameru) on Monday morning.

"There was an eruption of Mount Semeru at 06.53 WIB with an eruption column height of approximately 700 meters above the peak or about 4,376 meters above sea level (masl)," said Mount Semeru Observation Post Officer Liswanto, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 12.

According to him, the eruption of the mountain on the border of Lumajang and Malang Regencies, East Java, also spewed volcanic ash and was observed to be white to gray with moderate intensity to the north and when the report was made, the eruption was still ongoing.

Based on officers' records, Mount Semeru on Monday recorded three eruptions, namely at 01.00 WIB, 05.46 WIB and 06.53 WIB with eruptions observed as high as 500 meters to 700 meters above the peak.

The eruption of the highest mountain on the island of Java at 01.00 WIB was observed at an eruption column height of 500 meters above the peak and the ash column was observed to be white to gray with thick intensity to the north. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 112 seconds.

While the eruption at 05.46 WIB, officers reported that the eruption visual was not observed, but the eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and a duration of 100 seconds.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) provides a number of recommendations related to the status of Mount Semeru which is still Alert or Level II, namely that people are prohibited from carrying out any activities in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan as far as eight kilometers from the summit (the center of the eruption).

Then, outside of this 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 13 kilometers from the summit.

"People are also not allowed to move within a radius of three kilometers from the crater/peak of Mount Semeru, because they are prone to the dangers of lightning," said Liswanto.

In addition, it is also necessary to be aware of the potential for hot clouds, lava avalanches, and rain lava along rivers and valleys that originate at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for lava in small rivers that are tributaries from Besuk Kobokan.