Authorities declare a high alert level for the Java island area around the mountain, weeks after an earthquake killed more than 300 people. Semeru volcano in the southeast of the island of Java. The measure was attributed to “increased volcanic activity” after an early morning eruption, which forced nearly 2,000 people from their homes.
“The risk of gas and water vapor clouds and lava flows from heavy rains in Semeru has increased in recent hours,” the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said in a statement.
“With this increase in volcanic activity, the Volcanology and Geological Risk Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has raised Mount Semeru’s alert status from level 3 to level 4,” the agency added.
BNPB reported that Semeru, at an altitude of 3,676 meters, spewed a moderate to thick ash column, which reached 1.5 kilometers in height.
Earthquake
A total of 1,979 people, residing in 11 areas around the volcano, have so far been displaced due to worsening weather conditions and heavy rains during the day, which caused ash to fall in different areas of Lumajang city. So far, no deaths have been reported as a result of the volcanic eruption, the BNPB added.
The eruption in Java, about 400 miles east of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, comes after a series of earthquakes in the western part of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.
Japan’s meteorological agency said it was monitoring the possibility of a tsunami after the volcano erupted, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. Indonesian authorities have said nothing about the potential risk of giant waves.
md (EFE, DPA, Reuters)
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
