Mount Semeru in Lumajang Erupted Twice, Official Says
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21 January 2024 12:02 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mount Semeru, with a height of 3,676 meters above sea level in Lumajang District, East Java, erupted two times on Saturday morning, at 8:13 a.m. and 10:02 a.m. local time.
An officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, Liswanto, reported that the eruption occurred on Saturday at 8:13 a.m. local time, with the height of the eruption column observed to be around 300 meters above the peak (3,976 meters above sea level).
"The ash column was observed to be white to gray, with moderate intensity, towards the northeast. When this report was made, the eruption was still ongoing," he stated.
Thereafter, at 10:02 a.m. local time, the eruption occurred for the second time, with the height of the eruption column observed to be around 500 meters above the peak (4,176 meters above sea level), he remarked.
The alert status of Mount Semeru, as the highest mountain on Java island, is still at Level III. Officers reminded the public to not conduct any activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan, as far as 13 kilometers from the peak.
Beyond this distance, people are also not allowed to carry out activities within 500 meters of the river bank along Besuk Kobokan since it has the potential to be affected by hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 17 kilometers from the peak.
"Residents are also not allowed to carry out activities within a five-kilometer radius of the crater or top of Mount Semeru because they are prone to the danger of thrown rocks from the crater," he stated.
Moreover, the public is urged to be aware of the potential for hot clouds and lava avalanches along rivers and valleys on the flanks of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat, as well as the potential for cold lava flow in small rivers.
Meanwhile, Head of the Prevention, Preparedness, and Logistics Division of the Lumajang Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Wawan Hadi Siswoyo, stated that there was no impact due to the two eruptions of Mount Semeru.
"There was no spread of volcanic ash towards residential areas and residents' activities continued normally," he remarked.
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