Indonesia’s Semeru volcano, near Bali, erupts; alert level raised to highest
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Mount Semeru volcano spewing volcanic ash during an eruption in East Java, Indonesia, on Nov 19.
PHOTO: EPA
Surabaya - A volcano on Indonesia’s main island of Java erupted on Nov 19, throwing ash and gas kilometres into the sky and forcing officials to raise the alert status to its highest level.
Mount Semeru in eastern Java, about 310km west of the tourist hot spot of Bali, erupted at 2.13pm local time, spewing what are known as pyroclastic flows, said Indonesian geological agency head Muhammad Wafid.
“The public is advised not to engage in activities within an 8km radius of the crater or peak of Mount Semeru due to the risk of being struck by ejected rocks,” he said in a statement.
The national disaster agency said the plume of ash had risen as far as 13km into the air.
Its spokesman, Mr Abdul Muhari, said that at least 300 villagers living near the volcano have been evacuated to two temporary shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The geological agency also said that seismic activity at Mount Semeru remained high.
The authorities at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali said flight schedules were operating as usual so far.
An eruption by Semeru in 2021 killed more than 50 people and damaged more than 5,000 homes, forcing almost 10,000 people to seek refuge.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where the meeting of continental plates causes substantial volcanic and seismic activity.
The South-east Asian archipelago has nearly 130 active volcanoes. AFP
