Residents Evacuate as Cold Lava Flood Sweeps Mount Semeru Area

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of residents in Lumajang Regency, East Java, self-evacuated to a safer place as cold lava floods hit Mount Semeru areas on Thursday, April 18, 2024. The cold lava flood caused the Regoyo watershed to overflow, submerging residential areas on Thursday evening, at around 07:30 p.m. local time.

"The overflow of cold lava occurred after downpours swept over the Mount Semeru area since the afternoon," said the Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Abdul Muhari in a written statement on Friday.

According to Muhari, based on a report from the Lumajang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) at 10:50 p.m. local time, as many as 32 families fled to safer places.

As a result of the cold lava flood, three bridges were reportedly damaged, namely the bridge connecting Gondoruso Village and Bades Village in Pasirian District, the bridge in Sumberbulus, Oro-oro Ombo Village in Pronojiwo District, and the Jurangmangu Bridge in Purwosono Village, Sumbersuko District. Additionally, the Candipuro National Road was reportedly also flooded with cold lava.

The Lumajang Regency BPBD Quick Response Team (TRC) went straight to the location to assess the situation and handle the cold lava flood. The Health Department also readied health services for affected residents.

Meanwhile, the Lumajang Regency BPBD deployed a boat to speed up the evacuation of residents. 

BNPB urged the local government to take steps to handle the situation by monitoring rainfall potential periodically and providing regular information to communities living around the Regoyo watershed. This effort was made to minimize the impact if cold lava floods occur in the future.

INTAN SETIAWANTY

Editor’s Choice: Mount Semeru Volcanic Activity Intensifies, Residents Alerted 

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News