JAKARTA, Dec 5 (NNN-ANTARA) – Semeru volcano on Java island, erupted yesterday, spewing a 1.5-km high ash column, authorities said.
As of yesterday afternoon, the country’s Volcano Disaster Mitigation of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), raised its volcanic alert level for Semeru volcano to level 4, the highest level of a four-tier volcanic alert system.
The authorities said they had been evacuating residents of the two nearest villages, Supit Urang village and Sumber Wuluh village, and had warned other locals to stay away, at least 13 kilometres from the eruption range.
“We’ve also told all people living surrounding the volcano, to not do any activities around Besuk Kobokan riverside, as the river has a potential to flow hot clouds and lava,” the spokesman of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Abdul Muhari, said, in a written statement.
Exactly one year ago yesterday, on Dec 4, 2021, the Semeru volcano also erupted, killing at least 51 people and injuring 169 others.– NNN-ANTARA
