Highest alert level after Indonesia’s Semeru volcano eruption | Abroad

The Center for Volcanology and Disaster Prevention (PVMBG) has raised the Alert Level for Semeru from Level Three to Level Four. “This means that the danger in populated areas and the activity of the volcano has increased,” spokeswoman Hendra Gunawan said on Kompas TV.

The smoke column reached a height of 15 kilometers. The volcano spews hot ash 1,500 meters into the air, after which it spreads within a radius of 7 km. Lava also flows from the volcano. We urge people to move away from the immediate area. Access to the area around the volcano is limited. Most of the roads are closed.

According to the emergency services, 2,000 people have been transferred from six villages to 11 shelters. Shelter is provided to the local population in schools and mosques, among other places. Some of these sites are as far as 20 kilometers away. The authorities also distributed masks to the local population. After the eruption, the Internet was cut off and there were problems with the mobile network, as an AFP journalist immediately noticed. As far as is known, there were no casualties.

The Semeru earthquake erupted after a series of quakes in Java, one of which killed more than 330 people last month. The volcano, which is about 3,700 meters high, is the highest point in Java. The mountain is located in the eastern part of the island, about 640 kilometers from the capital, Jakarta.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert for Miyako and Yaeyama islands in the south of the archipelago after the volcanic eruption. Kyodo news agency reported that an hour later, there was no word of damage.

A year ago, Semeru volcano also erupted. More than 50 people were killed and nearly 10,000 people had to flee their homes as ash and mudslides engulfed villages.

Indonesia has 130 active volcanoes.