Indonesia volcano eruption live: People run to safety after Mount Semeru erupts as red flight warning issued
Indonesian authorities have increased the alert level of Java Island's tallest mountain to the highest
Civilians have run for safety after Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupted on Wednesday, sending a 2km cloud of ash into the air.
Residents have been put on high alert on the island and urged to keep at least 2.5km away from the volcano to avoid health risks.
Semeru, more than 3,600 metres (12,000 feet) high, is one of Indonesia's nearly 130 active volcanoes. It is the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java. An eruption in 2021 caused the deaths of at least 57 people.
In a statement, Australia’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) have issued a red aviation warning, with local residents urged to stay within 500m of the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan to avoid being hit by “an expansion of hot clouds and lava flows”.
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Residents urged to stay far away as risk lingers
Residents have been urged to stay at least 2.5km (1.5 miles) away from the site of the eruption due to ongoing risks.
Indonesia’s volcanology agency issued the warning as it increased the alert level of Java Island's tallest mountain to the highest.
The volcano spewed ash clouds as high as 2 km (1 mile) above the mountain's peak, the agency said,
Over 300 residents evacuated to government shelters
More than 300 residents in the three villages most at risk in the district of Lumajang had been evacuated to government shelters, National Disaster Mitigation Agency's spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.
The eruption blanketed several villages with falling ash throughout the day, forcing authorities to raise the volcano's alert level twice, from the third-highest level to the highest, the agency said. No casualties have been reported.
Pictured: Semeru erupts, spewing ash into populated areas
What is a red aviation warning?
The Aviation Colour Codes provide the aviation community with information about volcanic activity and the potential presence of volcanic ash in the atmosphere, according to GeoNet.
A red code signifies that eruption is forecasted to be imminent with significant emission of ash into the atmosphere likely, or, eruption is underway with significant emission of ash into the atmosphere
Red aviation warning issued
The Australia Volcanic Ash Advisory has issued a red aviation warning with the public prohibited from engaging in activities within 500 meters of the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan.
Avalanches of hot lava and rock descends 7km down mountain
Mount Semeru in East Java province unleashed avalanches of searing clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that traveled up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) down its slopes several times since midday to dusk, while a column of hot clouds rose 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) into the air, Indonesia's Geology Agency said in a statement.
Indonesia raises alert for Mount Semeru to highest level
Indonesia has raised the alert for Mount Semeru volcano to the highest level following the series of eruptions.
The country straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.
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