December 1st. According to “Central News Agency”, the Indonesian authorities are currently paying close attention to the situation of several volcanoes, because sensors have recorded that these volcanic activities have become more frequent in recent weeks. The authorities have evacuated thousands of people.
According to reports, Indonesia’s National Disaster Response Agency spokesperson Radiya said that scorching volcanic ash poured down Mount Semo on the early morning of December 1, reaching as far as 3,000 meters away, triggering panic among villagers. Volcanic ash and sulfur from the sky enveloped several villages on the hillside.
On the morning of November 29, local time, the Iri Levotoroko volcano in the Lombarta region of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia erupted, ejecting ash plumes as high as 4000 meters.
Mount Semo is the highest volcano on the most densely populated island of Java in Indonesia. Radiya said that the authorities are trying to evacuate about 550 residents on the hillside, and there have been no reports of injuries or serious losses.
The Indonesian Volcano and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center did not raise the alert level of Mount Semo. Since the eruption of Mount Semo began in May, the alert level has been maintained at the third highest level.
The Disaster Reduction Center recommends that villagers and tourists keep a distance of 4 kilometers from the crater.
On November 29, the Iri Levotoroco volcano in the Lombarta region of East Nusa Tenggara erupted for 10 minutes. The volcanic ash was 4,000 meters high, and thousands of villagers needed to evacuate.
In addition, the authorities have evacuated more than 1,800 residents on the slopes since the beginning of November after the activity of the Merabi volcano in another area of Java became more frequent. The local governments of Central Java and Yogyakarta are closely monitoring Mount Merabi.
Authorities in North Sumatra province are also paying close attention to the situation of Sinapeng volcano, as sensors recorded that the volcano has increased in activity since August. The authorities advised villagers to keep a distance of 5 kilometers from the crater and pay attention to the dangers posed by lava.
