Lava flows during an eruption of Mount Semeru in East Java, January 16.
Photographer: Agus Harianto / AFP / Getty Images
Photographer: Agus Harianto / AFP / Getty Images
Mount Semeru volcano on Indonesia’s main island of Java dumped hot ash up to 4 kilometers on Saturday, prompting authorities to warn people to keep their distance.
People should not carry out activities within a radius of 1 kilometer from the crater, according to a statement on Saturday, the country’s national disaster management. The volcano’s alert level was at “clock”, two notches below the highest “warning” rating.
Indonesia’s 18,000 islands lie along the “ring of fire” of the Pacific Ocean, with active volcanoes and tectonic defects, making it prone to natural disasters such as eruptions and earthquakes.
Indonesian authorities have had to deal with several natural and man-made disasters this month.
A magnitude of 6.2 the quake shook western Sulawesi on Friday, killing dozens. Hundreds of people were injured and about 15,000 people were evacuated.
At least five people in Manado, North Sulawesi, died on Saturday due to flooding and landslides due to bad weather. Last week, at least 11 people, including rescuers, were killed and 18 injured in West Java after heavy rains caused landslides.
On January 9, Sriwijaya Flight 182 carrying 62 people plunged into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta. No survivors were found.