Indonesian authorities have evacuated more than 900 residents and are safely escorting 170 climbers who were stranded following the eruption of Mount Semeru, one of the country’s tallest and most active volcanoes.
The alert level remains at its highest after Semeru, located on Java island, erupted 10 times on Wednesday, spewing towering ash clouds and sending lava and rocks up to 13 km down its slopes, officials confirmed.
According to Septi Wardhani, an official from Semeru National Park, the climbers had spent the night at a lakeside campsite approximately 6.4 km from the crater.
“All climbers with their guides are safe. The situation is under control,” Wardhani told Reuters.
Footage released by Indonesia’s volcanology agency showed thick clouds of hot ash blanketing the volcano’s slopes. This eruption is the most intense since December 2021, when at least 51 people were killed and nearby villages were covered in ash.
Standing at 3,676 metres, Mount Semeru is one of roughly 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a major seismic zone prone to earthquakes and eruptions.
East Java’s rescue agency deployed dozens of personnel to assist in evacuations. So far, 956 nearby residents have been relocated to temporary shelters such as schools, mosques and government buildings, said agency official Prahista Dian.
“We’ve also deployed personnel to check whether there are any remaining residents still trapped,” he added.
