The volcano range on Indonesia’s Java island killed at least 46 people earlier this month, leaving hundreds missing and stranded.
Early on Sunday, Indonesia’s Semeru volcano on Java island erupted, spewing a two-kilometer (1.24-mile) high ash column, prompting authorities to issue a warning to residents to keep away from the eruption range. The eruption of Semeru, Java’s tallest mountain, earlier this month blasted ash clouds and pyroclastic flows that killed at least 46 people and left many others missing, as well as displacing others. According to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, the early morning eruption produced dense white and grey ash clouds (PVMBG).
Due to the possibility of lava flow, the agency cautioned neighbouring inhabitants not to conduct any activity within a five-kilometer (three-mile) radius of the eruption centre and to keep a 500-meter (1,500-foot) distance from riversides. People should not conduct any activity within 13 kilometers (eight miles) of the eruption centre, according to PVMBG. With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the world’s highest population living within 10 kilometers of a volcano, with 8.6 million people living within 10 kilometers (six miles).
On Sunday, Liswanto claimed his crew observed two pyroclastic flow incidents. The first occurred at 5 a.m. local time, and the second was at 10 a.m. The deadly volcanic ash was descending on Curah Kobokan hamlet, which had been evacuated on Saturday. They have encouraged those living up to 6 miles away from the volcano to flee because pyroclastic flows are “very hot,” reaching temperatures of over 1000 degrees Celsius, according to Liswanto. The phenomena can be extremely dangerous because there is no way to forecast when the pyroclastic flow will occur, according to Liswanto.
