Mount Semeru volcano erupts, Indonesia issue warning of highest level, evacuates people
Indonesia Semeru eruption
Indonesia’s highest volcano on its most densely populated island of Java erupted, spewing large gas clouds and a river of lava, on early Sunday. This prompted the authorities to issue the highest level warning and begin the evacuation of at least 93 residents of East Java province to shelters, said the country’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB).
According to the BNPB, the Mount Semeru volcanobegan erupting at 2:46 am (local time). Subsequently, the lava flowed from Semeru’s slopes, while the thick column of smoke reached at least 1.5 km in height and ash blanketed the nearby areas blocking out the sun, said reports.
Several hundred people have been moved to temporary shelters and safe areas, said Joko Sambang, head of the disaster management agency in Lumajang, East Java province.
ALSO WATCH |Indonesia: Mount Semeru volcano erupts; hundreds evacuated
The increased activity, on Sunday afternoon, led the authorities to widen the danger zone from 5 km to 8 km from the mouth of the crater, said Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre (PVMBG).
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
ALSO READ |5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia's Java island, one injured
He added that people have also been asked to stay away from the southeastern part of the Besuk Kobokan River at the risk of encountering the path of the lava flow. Furthermore, the level of volcanic activity in the area was raised from level III to level IV, said the PVMBG chief. He also said that the hot ash clouds reached as far as 19 km from the site of the eruption.
This comes after the island of Java witnessed a series of earthquakeson the west of the island. Semeru’s eruption in December last year had killed more than 50 people, left several missing, and thousands displaced.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.