Indonesia’s Mount Semeru Erupts, Spews Ash 13km Into Sky; Hundreds Evacuated Amid High Alert
Following the eruption of Mount Semeru, one of Indonesia’s tallest peaks, authorities have evacuated more than 900 residents so far. Further, the 170 climbers who were stuck in the area after the volcano erupted were guided back to safety on Thursday.
Meanwhile, officials kept the alert at its maximum level after the volcano on Java island burst to life on Wednesday, sending towering ash columns into the sky and pushing lava and rocks up to 13 km (8.08 miles) down its slopes.
The stranded climbers had spent the night at a lakeside campsite roughly 6.4 km from the crater but were now being escorted out, said Septi Wardhani of the Semeru national park.
“All climbers with their guides are safe…The situation is under control,” Wardhani told news agency Reuters.
According to news agency AP, no casualties have been reported so far.
Video released by Indonesia’s volcanology agency captured thick clouds of scorching ash surging from the crater and coating the volcano’s slopes. Several videos capturing the eruption was shared on social media by netizens.
Semeru last saw a major eruption in December 2021, an event that killed at least 51 people and smothered nearby communities in ash.
Rising 3,676 metres (2.28 miles), Mount Semeru is among around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a zone of intense seismic activity where shifting tectonic plates trigger frequent quakes and eruptions.
In East Java, the local rescue agency deployed teams to support evacuations, with 956 residents from nearby areas already moved to temporary shelters in schools, mosques and government facilities, said agency official Prahista Dian.
Additional personnel have been deployed to search for whether there are still residents trapped or not.
