Indonesia raises volcano warning to highest after Semeru erupts; thousands evacuated

JAKARTA - A volcano erupted in Indonesia on Sunday, spewing a cloud of ash 15km into the sky and forcing the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people, the authorities said as they issued their highest warning for the area in the east of Java.

There were no immediate reports of any casualties from the eruption of the Semeru volcano and Indonesia’s transport ministry said there was no impact on air travel, although notices had been sent to two regional airports for vigilance.

Locals fled on motorbikes, sometimes three at a time, as a mushroom cloud of ash approached and monsoon rain lashed the area in East Java.

“Most roads have been closed since this morning and now it is raining volcanic ash and it has covered the view of the mountain,” community volunteer Bayu Deny Alfianto told Reuters by telephone from near the volcano.

The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has “increased the status of Mount Semeru from... level three to level four. It means the danger has threatened the people’s settlement and the volcano’s activity has escalated”, spokesman Hendra Gunawan told broadcaster Kompas TV.

With the raised alert level, the authorities warned residents not to conduct any activities within 8km of Semeru’s eruption centre, adding that hot ash clouds had reached as far as 19km from the centre of eruption.

Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency BNPB said close to 2,000 people had been moved to 11 shelters and the authorities had distributed masks to residents.

The volcano began erupting at 2.46am local time, BNPB said. Videos posted on social media showed grey ash clouds in nearby areas.

The volcano’s plume of ash reached a height of 15 km, said Japan’s Meteorology Agency. It had initially been on alert for the possibility that the volcano could trigger a tsunami, but later ruled that out.

Mr Gunawan warned nearby residents not to travel within 8km of the crater after the threat level was raised to four.

Mount Semeru last erupted exactly one year ago, killing at least 51 people. The disaster left streets filled with mud and ash, swallowing homes and vehicles, with nearly 10,000 people seeking refuge.

Sunday’s eruption at Mount Semeru on the eastern part of Java Island, some 640km from the national capital Jakarta, follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one in November that killed more than 300 people.

Some residents nearby evacuated independently to safer buildings like mosques and schools, according to a statement from the regional government of Lumajang, where Semeru is located.

PVMBG’s Mr Gunawan said the agency saw the potential for a bigger supply of magma this year compared with previous eruptions in 2021 and 2020.

“Therefore Semeru’s hot clouds could reach further (this year) and at that distance there are many residences,” he said.

With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the largest population globally living in close range to a volcano, including 8.6 million people within 10km.

The deadly late November quake that hit West Java’s Cianjur was a shallow temblor of 5.6 magnitude. A much deeper quake on Saturday in Gurat of 6.1 magnitude sent people running from buildings but did not cause major damage. AFP, REUTERS