Mount Semeru eruption forces nearly 900 Indonesians into shelters, with volcanic ash reaching 13km high and highest alert level activated
JAKARTA: Hundreds of Indonesians remained in temporary shelters Thursday following Mount Semeru’s violent eruption on Java island.
The volcano erupted Wednesday afternoon, spewing ash and gas more than 13 kilometres away and prompting authorities to raise the alert status to its highest level.
Volcanic activity had largely calmed but continued fluctuating Thursday, according to Indonesia’s geological agency.
Disaster agency official Sultan Syafaat confirmed nearly 900 people were moved to shelters established in schools, mosques and village halls.
“During the night, they stay in shelters probably because they are still traumatised,” he said.
Authorities also evacuated approximately 190 people from the volcano’s slopes Thursday.
Most evacuees were hikers stranded at a campsite following the eruption, said Semeru national park head Rudijanto Tjahja Nugraha.
Mount Semeru’s 2021 eruption killed more than 50 people and damaged over 5,000 homes.
That disaster forced almost 10,000 residents to seek refuge in emergency shelters.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plate collisions create significant volcanic and seismic activity.
The Southeast Asian archipelago contains nearly 130 active volcanoes. – AFP
