JakartaPost/Kompas/Antara-Nov 20
Several people were injured and more than 1,000 residents evacuated after Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang regency in East Java, erupted ten times on Wednesday. The 3,676-meter-high volcano spewed ash clouds reaching up to 2 kilometers above its peak, sending lava and rocks as far as 13 kilometers down its slopes, according to officials. Footage from the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) showed a massive cloud of hot ash billowing from the crater, blanketing the surrounding slopes. The eruption was recorded by the Semeru Volcano Observation Post seismograph, registering a maximum amplitude of 40 millimeters and lasting 16 minutes and 40 seconds. PVMBG raised the volcano’s alert level from Level II to Level III at 4 p.m. local time. Just an hour later, authorities escalated the alert to Level IV, the highest level, because of increasing volcanic activity. The eruption affected three villages in Lumajang Regency: Supit Urang and Oro-oro Ombo in Pronojiwo District, and Penanggal in Candipuro District.
Scores of homes were severely damaged by volcanic debris, Kompas.com reported. Many roofs collapsed, leaving behind wooden rubble and shattered walls. In some houses, only the front section remained, while the was completely destroyed. Several buildings were reduced to their foundations, with little remaining above ground. At least three people were injured in the eruption, but no fatalities have been reported. The eruption of Mount Semeru also killed at least 143 livestock belonging to local residents in Lumajang regency, including cows, goats and sheep. Authorities are also in the process of evacuating 187 climbers, porters and tour guides who were stranded overnight at a lakeside campsite at Ranu Kumbolo, located about 6.4 kilometers from the volcano’s crater. By Thursday afternoon, 66 climbers had been successfully evacuated. Read more at:
