BNPB admits to intensively monitoring four volcanoes in Indonesia

The incandescent lava sliding from the peak of Mount Semeru can be seen from the Semeru Volcano Observation Post, Pantau Curah Kobokan Post, Supiturang Village, Lumajang, East Java, Thursday (30/10/2025). ANTARA FOTO/Irfan Sumanjaya

JAKARTA - The activities of four volcanoes with the status of Alert or Level III, are under intensive monitoring by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

The Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, said that monitoring was carried out intensively as a mitigation step to anticipate the potential for eruptions and the impact on the community around the volcano.

Several volcanoes that are currently in the Alert status, namely Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki and Mount Ili Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara, as well as Mount Merapi and Mount Semeru in East Java.

According to him, the Level III status indicates an increase in volcanic activity which requires higher vigilance from the local government and the community, especially those living in disaster-prone areas.

BNPB is actively communicating with local governments, TNI-Polri-Basarnas, and local disaster volunteers to ensure preparedness, including socialization of evacuation routes and the readiness of evacuation centers if there is a significant increase in activity.

In addition, BNPB continues to update official information from the Geological Disaster Mitigation Volcanology Center (PVMBG) of the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to prevent the spread of inaccurate news in the community and ensure that every step of handling is based on scientific data.

Abdul appealed to the public around the volcano with the Alert status to comply with the technical recommendations of PVMBG and the local government, for example, to stay away from the area within the radius of danger from exposure to volcanic material-river flow upstream from the active peak/cauldron.