Jakarta, April 6 (IANS) Indonesia's Mount Semeru in East Java province erupted several times on Monday morning, sending thick ash up to 1,100 meters above its summit, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
An official at the Semeru monitoring post reported that the ash columns, ranging from white to grey, moved southward with moderate intensity, reports Xinhua news agency.
By press time, the volcano had recorded at least seven eruptions since midnight. The activity began at 00:38 a.m. local time, with the most recent blast occurring at 9:29 a.m. The peak of this activity was observed at 6:51 a.m., when the ash plume reached its maximum height of 1,100 meters.
Authorities have warned the public to remain outside a 5-km radius of the summit. In the southeastern sector, the exclusion zone extends 13 km along the Besuk Kobokan river, with further warnings that lahars and pyroclastic flows could reach up to 17 km from the peak.
Earlier in March, Mount Semeru erupted, sending an ash column about 1,000 meters above its summit, the country's volcanology agency said.
The eruption also produced a hot avalanche cloud that travelled about three kilometres to the southeast along the Besuk Kobokan river channel.
Monitoring officials stated the thick grey ash drifted to the northeast and east, and the eruption lasted nearly five minutes with a maximum seismic amplitude of 12 mm.
In February, Mount Semeru erupted five times on Wednesday, sending volcanic ash up to 1,000 meters above its summit, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).
Liswanto, an officer at the Semeru Volcano Monitoring Post, said the first eruption occurred at 00:28 a.m. local time on February 11. The strongest eruption was recorded at 05:36 a.m. the same day, when an ash column rose 1,000 meters into the sky. The fifth eruption took place at 08:06 a.m., later in the day and was accompanied by notable seismic activity, he added.
Mount Semeru remains at Level III alert, the second-highest level in Indonesia's four-tier volcanic warning system.
The PVMBG has advised the public not to conduct activities within 13 kilometres of the summit and within a 5-kilometre radius of the crater due to potential hazards, including hot clouds and volcanic materials. Residents living near the volcano have been urged to remain vigilant and follow instructions issued by local authorities.
Standing 3,676 meters above sea level, Semeru is the tallest volcano on Java Island and among the most active in Indonesia. The archipelagic country lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
