Mount Semeru Erupts Almost Every Day: PVMBG

TEMPO.CO, Lumajang - Mount Semeru erupted every day and its alert status remains at level 3 of Siaga (standby). A total of 40 eruptions were recorded last Tuesday, March 1, 32 eruptions on Wednesday, and 27 eruptions on Thursday.

The Head of the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center’s (PVMBG) west volcano mitigation division, Nia Khaerani, made the report on Thursday, March 3. “It is visible that Mount Semeru spews white and gray smoke as high as 300-500 meters above the crater,” said Nia.

The public is prohibited from carrying out any activities in the southeast area along Besuk Kobokan within 13 kilometers from the summit. They are also advised to stay away from the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan as far as 500 meters, as well as along Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar dan Besuk Sat, due to the potential spread of hot clouds and lava avalanches up to 17 kilometers long from the summit.

On Wednesday night, hot clouds from the active volcano caused several villages in Candipuro District to be showered with heavy volcanic ash. The hot cloud slid as far as 4.5 kilometers as recorded on the PVMBG’s seismograph at 22:15 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). Some people conducted self-evacuation.

As of Thursday morning and afternoon, the BMKG observed that the volcanic ash from Mount Semeru blew towards the southeast areas across Malang.

Read: Mount Semeru Eruption; Jokowi Says 2,000 Houses Must Be Relocated

ANTARA