Semeru Erupts in East Java, Forcing Evacuations as Ash Tower Triggers Red Aviation Alert

Overview

• Early-morning explosions sent a dense ash column to between roughly 13 km and 16.4 km, with eruptions logged around 04:10, 05:09 and 06:05 local time.
• Authorities ordered evacuations from communities near the volcano, moving at least 300 people to two temporary shelters, and no casualties were reported.
• The Australian Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre issued a red advisory for aviation, though officials at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport reported flights operating normally at the time.
• Safety guidance varied across agencies, with exclusion zones reported from about 3 km up to 8 km from the crater due to rockfall and pyroclastic-flow hazards.
• Monitors reported elevated seismicity, including a 22 mm amplitude event lasting 142 seconds, as officials warned of continuing pyroclastic flows.