Volcanic eruption

Mount Semeru, on the border of Lumajang and Malang Districts in East Java Province, erupted Sunday morning, sending an ash column 1,000 meters above its summit.
“Mount Semeru erupted at 7:51 a.m. local time, with the column reaching about 1,000 meters above the summit, or 4,676 meters above sea level,” Semeru monitoring post officer Sigit Rian Alfian said in a report received on Sunday.
Sigit said Semeru’s volcanic activity remained at Level III, or Alert. The ash column was white to gray and thick, moving eastward.
“The eruption was recorded by a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 23 mm and lasted 102 seconds,” he said.
Under the Alert status, people are advised against outdoor activities, particularly in the southeast sector along Besuk Kobokan, within 13 km of the eruption center.
“Beyond that area, people should stay 500 meters from the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan, where hot clouds and lahars could extend up to 17 km from the summit,” Sigit said.
People are also prohibited from activities within five km of Semeru’s crater or summit because of the risk of incandescent rock ejected by the eruption.
Sigit urged residents to remain alert for hot clouds, lava avalanches and lahars along rivers and valleys originating from Mount Semeru’s summit.
“Particular caution is needed along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar and Besuk Sat, as well as smaller tributaries of Besuk Kobokan that could carry lahars,” he said.
The volcanic activity coincided with a forest fire on Mount Semeru that remained unextinguished Sunday morning, with the affected area continuing to expand.
Data from Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park showed that more than 3,000 hectares of forest had been burned.
The hiking route to Java’s highest mountain has also been closed by the park authority because of the forest and land fire on Semeru’s slopes.