At Least 13 Dead, 41 Suffer Burn Injuries After Indonesia's Semeru Volcano Erupts
13:42 GMT 04.12.2021 (Updated: 02:32 GMT 05.12.2021)
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The eruption, which began earlier today at 2:30 pm local time, has displaced thousands of people living in the area nearby. Footage posted on social media showed crowds of people running away from the volcano as a massive ash cloud rose up behind them.
Some 41 people suffered burn injuries following an eruption of the Semeru volcano in Indonesia, Reuters reported, citing Indah Masdar the deputy chief of the Lumajang district. Budi Santosa, head of the Disaster Management of East Java Province, said his team is now trying to conduct evacuations in the area near the volcano, while preparing accommodation and food for those have been displaced by the eruption. It was later reported that some 10 individuals had been rescued.
Latest figures from the Disaster Management Agency revealed that the death toll from the eruption jumped to 13. It had previously stood at at least one.
He stressed that two districts in the East Java province have been "badly affected" by the incident, without elaborating on the names of the districts. Local media reported that some individuals are trapped in areas that are inaccessible for rescuers. Evacuation efforts are being hampered by massive thick clouds of smoke.
BREAKING: Indonesia's Mount Semeru volcano erupts in East Java, spewing lava and large ash cloud, local media reports; residents evacuated in two nearby districts - Factal
— Breaking News Alerts 🚨 (@NBLNewsLIVE) December 4, 2021
pic.twitter.com/SouD53iSVT
Nicknamed "The Great Mountain" in Sanskrit, Semeru is among Indonesia’s 130 active volcanoes and is located in one of the most densely populated provinces. This is the second eruption this year. The previous one occurred in January and caused no casualties.
Videos posted online show residents of East Java fleeing the area in panic.
My thoughts & prayers are with the people in Lumajang & Malang ( East Java ) after Mt #Semeru’s volcano erupted creating panic yet.
— Σοφία 🥀 (@duniasofhie) December 4, 2021
May Allah protect them 🥺🤲🙏 pic.twitter.com/BKrHAoEjuT
The eruption was accompanied by rain, which resulted in the formation of thick mud composed of lava and smouldering debris. The mud destroyed a bridge connecting the two main villages of Pronojiwo and Candipuro.
Info saat ini bahwa jembatan Gladak perak putus. Tolong menginfokan kepada masyarakat yang akan melewati lokasi ini untuk berhati-hati pic.twitter.com/Cgap7SZwBz
— PRB Indonesia BNPB (Disaster Risk Reduction) (@PRB_BNPB) December 4, 2021
AirNav Indonesia, which controls Indonesian airspace, has issued a warning to airlines over the plume of ash in the sky, which has risen to 50,000 feet (15,000 metres).
#Indonesia 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
— Research Wing (@ResearchWing) December 4, 2021
Huge Volcanic Blast by eruption at Mt. Semeru in Java.
Ashes rise upto 40,000 ft in the sky...
Stay safe🙏🏻#semeruerupsi pic.twitter.com/stFsU6RDcg
Last year, a brief eruption of Semeru forced around 1,000 people from their homes.
Indonesia sits on two continental plates, known as the Ring of Fire, making the country prone to high seismic activity.
