Indonesia’s tallest volcano erupted on Sunday, sending a river of lava through the ground on the country’s most populated island and clouds of ash into the sky, according to reports.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that monsoon rains have contributed to the erosion and collapse of a lava dome atop Mount Semeru, which at its highest peak sits 12,060 feet above sea level.
Pyroclastic flow rolls down the slope of Mount Semeru during an eruption Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 in Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia. Indonesia’s tallest volcano on the country’s most densely populated island of Java erupted on Sunday.
(AP)
When the lava dome collapsed, an eruption ensued, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency told the AP.
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The ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management released a lightning update on the Mount Semeru eruption on Sunday, saying the volcanic activity began at 0344 UTC+7 and nearly 10 minutes later it was observed “volcanic ash from hot cloud avalanches”. .
The preliminary analysis, the agency said, was that about 61,024 people, 15,256 households and $162 million in infrastructure were within 10 kilometers of the volcano and were likely to be affected. He added that there are no populations concentrated within 10-30km of the volcano.
Rescuers monitor the flow of volcanic materials from the eruption of Mount Semeru, in Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. Indonesia’s tallest volcano on its most densely populated island has released clouds of searing gas and rivers of lava Sunday in its last eruption.
(AP Photo/Hendra Permana)
The agency said that in response to the eruption, local authorities in Lumajang regency and East Java province will lead the evacuation of affected communities.
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The AP reported that ash was being blown nearly 5,000 feet into the sky as lava drifted toward a river.
The sun was blocked and the villages covered in ash, but as for the dead, none had been reported.
The last time Semeru blew up was in December 2021, leaving 51 people dead in villages buried in mud.
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Hundreds suffered burns and more than 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes.
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 270 million people living there. The area is part of the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to fault lines and tectonic plates.
