Semeru volcano erupts on the island of Java, Indonesia

On the island of Java in Indonesia, the Semeru volcano erupted on Sunday, December 4, a year after a deadly disaster. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Prevention (PVMBG) has decided to raise the alert level for Mount Semeru from level three to level four, which is the highest.

“This means that the danger threatens populated areas and that the volcano’s activity has intensified.”His spokesperson, Hendra Gunawan, told Kompas TV. Mount Semeru is located in the east of Java Island, which is its highest point, with an altitude of 3,676 meters, and scattered an ash cloud about 1.5 kilometers high on Sunday.

No injuries were reported immediately after the eruption, but Mr Gunawan advised nearby residents to stay at least 8km away from the crater. Authorities also told people to avoid a 13-kilometre stretch of land along a river towards which the volcanic ash cloud was moving.

Nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated

Videos shared by the Iranala rescue group with the French news agency showed a giant cloud rising from the crater and completely blocking the sun, as well as surrounding villages covered in ash, shrouded in a dark mist. Monsoons hit the region on Sunday afternoon, with rain water mixed with ash, according to TV stations.

Reported emergency services“Burning Avalanches”caused by lumps of lava that broke off from the summit during the eruption and rushed towards the base of the volcano. “A lot of people are starting to get off.” From the sides of the volcano, the head of the Lumajang district administration where the volcano is located told Kompas TV Thoriqul Haq. A spokesman for the local emergency services added that residents of the two most vulnerable villages fled on their own. According to emergency services, nearly 2,000 of them have been evacuated.

Shelters have been set up to house the displaced, and the authorities have distributed masks to nearby residents to protect them from air pollution from the ash. After the volcano erupted, the internet was cut off and the mobile phone network was cut off, according to an AFP journalist.

Tsunami warning in Japan

For its part, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of the possibility of tsunamis resulting from the eruption of an Indonesian volcano, around 6:30 am, on the islands of Miyako and Yaeyama, in the far south of the archipelago. Kyodo News Agency. But an hour later, there was no word of damage.

The The last eruption of Mount Semeru in December 2021, killing at least 51 people. Mudslides and ash engulfed entire villages and nearly 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Another explosion occurred two days later. The bridge connecting two districts in the region, which was rebuilt after last year’s eruption, was severely damaged again on Sunday, according to PVMBG.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes strong volcanic and seismic activity. The Southeast Asian archipelago contains about 130 active volcanoes.