Mount Semeru Erupts! Multiple Casualties and Hundreds Evacuated as Hot Pyroclastic Cloud Hit Villages

This article is about an ongoing event, the content may change to reflect new information.

Nusantara Pol - An active volcano in Lumajang Regency, East Java, Mount Semeru erupted on Saturday (5/12/2021) afternoon. Multiple videos circulating on Twitter and other social media showed scared residents running to save themselves as massive volcanic cloud raising in the background.

As of midnight, Detik reported that the Mount Semeru eruption has left 1 person dead in the Curah Kobokan area. At least 41 residents have suffered from burns due to pyroclastic flow, 2 of whom are pregnant women. 

On Sunday morning, December 5 2021, the National Agency for Disaster Management report that at least 13 people have died and more injured people are being treated. Evacuation is still ongoing.

The victims are being treated at local health centers and hospitals for intensive care because of burns on their faces, hands, feet, and or all over their bodies.

Mixture of rain and volcanic materials could cause dangerous cold lava flow. (Photo: InfoPublik)

 As many as 10 people in Curah Kobokan, Lumajang Regency, are still trapped. The evacuation is hampered by a combination of eruption materials and rain which become thick mud.

"The evacuation is slow because cars could not enter the location. Because the mud is knee-deep," said Deputy Regent of Lumajang, Indah Amperawati Masdar, Saturday (4/12/2021), quoted from Detik. 

Lumajang Regency Government is being assisted by the Jeep car community to attempt evacuation of the trapped residents. 

Additionally, one of the bridges connecting Lumajang Regency and Malang Regency, namely the Gladak Perak Bridge, is cut off after being hit by Semeru eruption material.

Indah added that around 300 families from Curah Kobokan had been evacuated. Houses have been reportedly destroyed or damaged.

No Flight Disruption

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Ministry of Transportation ensures that flights at Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport in Malang and Juanda International Airport in Surabaya will continue to operate normally, after the eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, East Java on Saturday (4/12/2021).

"We will continue to intensively monitor the development of the eruption of Mount Semeru by involving AirNav Indonesia, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the Airport Operator. For flights at Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport in Malang, until now it is still running normally," said Director General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transportation, Novie Riyanto, Saturday, quoted from InfoPublik (4/12/2021).