Indonesia's Semeru Volcano Erupts Again Prompting Evacuation

Indonesia's Mount Semeru, the highest peak on the island of Java and an active volcano, awoke on 4 December, spewing a plume of smoke high into the air with fast-moving currents of hot gas and ash rolling down the hillside, swallowing nearby villages.

Early Sunday morning, Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupted, spewing a 2 km high column of ash into the sky.

According to Reuters, authorities announced an evacuation of everyone living nearby.

December 18, 2021, ~ Semeru Volcano, Indonesia ~ New Live Camera #volcano #semeru #indonesia
Link to Live camera:https://t.co/gaKrh0r5of pic.twitter.com/0Bg7ZfUjtp

— Volcano Time-Lapse (@DavidHe11952876) December 18, 2021

The Indonesian Volcanology Center has warned nearby residents to stay at least 500 metres from the coastline.

Sumber @pvmbg_ :
Terjadi erupsi G. Semeru pada hari Minggu, 19 Desember 2021, pukul 05:31 WIB dengan tinggi kolom abu teramati ± 2000 m di atas puncak (± 5676 m di atas permukaan laut). #InfoGenWaniPooll#GunungSemeru#Semeru pic.twitter.com/dzjkxTSo4N

— Gen 103.1 Fm (@gen1031fmsby) December 19, 2021

Information about the dead or injured has not yet been reported. People had already begun to evacuate from the potentially dangerous area.

Earlier this month, the eruption killed 48 people and 36 went missing in villages that were buried under layers of lava and ash.

Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted many times over the past 200 years. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of people live on the fertile slopes of the nation's volcanoes.

Indonesia, an archipelago of over 270 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity as it sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire.