"Mount Semeru erupted at 7:09 a.m. local time, with the eruption column reaching around 1,000 meters above the summit, or 4,676 meters above sea level," said Mukdas Sofian, an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, in a statement on Thursday.
He reported that the eruption produced a white-to-gray ash plume of thick intensity, drifting northeast and southeast. The event was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and lasted for 214 seconds.
Seismic activity at Semeru — the highest peak on Java Island — continues to be dominated by eruption earthquakes. On Wednesday alone, seismic readings recorded amplitudes between 10 and 22 mm, with durations ranging from 44 to 192 seconds.
Sofian noted that the volcano's alert level remains at Level II (Caution). Based on this status, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has issued several safety recommendations.
These include a ban on public activities within the southeastern sector of the volcano, specifically along Besuk Kobokan, within an 8-kilometer radius of the summit — the eruption's epicenter.
Beyond this zone, the public is also advised to avoid activities within 500 meters of the riverbanks along Besuk Kobokan due to the risk of expanding pyroclastic and lava flows, which may extend up to 13 kilometers from the summit.
"The public is also advised not to engage in any activity within a three-kilometer radius of the crater due to the risk of incandescent rock ejection," Sofian added.
He further warned of potential hot clouds and lava avalanches flowing through rivers and valleys originating from the summit — particularly along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat. Residents should also be aware of the threat of cold lava flows during heavy rain, especially in smaller tributaries of Besuk Kobokan.
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Translator: Zumrotun Solichah, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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