Indonesia’s Mount Semeru Erupts, Ash Column Reaches 900 Metres

JAKARTA, May 3 (Bernama) -- Indonesia’s Mount Semeru on the border of Lumajang and Malang regencies in East Java erupted Sunday morning, sending an ash column up to 900 metres above its summit, authorities said.

In a statement, an observation officer at the Semeru monitoring post Sigit Rian Alfian said the eruption occurred at 8.00 am local time, with the ash plume reaching about 4,576 metres above sea level.

“The volcanic ash column lasted about 111 seconds was observed to be white to grey in colour and drifting towards the southwest with thick intensity,” he said, as reported by Antara News Agency on Sunday.

Monitoring data showed that within the six-hour period from midnight to 6.00 am, Semeru recorded 18 eruption-related tremors with amplitudes ranging from 10 to 22 mm and durations between 89 and 201 seconds.

The highest peak on Java Island also recorded other seismic activity, including gas emissions, harmonic tremor, and one distant tectonic earthquake during the same period.

Authorities maintained Semeru’s alert status at Level III (Alert) and warned residents against all activities within 13 kilometres of the summit in the southeast sector.

-- BERNAMA