The Semeru volcano on the island of Java in Indonesia erupted on Sunday and authorities declared high alert a year after a deadly disaster.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Preparedness (PVMBG) has raised Mount Semeru’s alert level from level three to the highest level four, its spokesman Hendra Gunawan told Kompas TV.
“This means that populated areas are at risk and that the activity of the volcano has increased,” he explained.
Located in the east of the island of Java, of which it is the highest point at 3676 meters, Mount Semeru spewed out an ash cloud about 1.5 kilometers high on Sunday.
No casualties were reported immediately after the eruption, but Mr Gunawan advised nearby residents to stay at least 8 km from the crater.
Authorities also urged people to avoid a 13km-long area along a river that the volcanic ash cloud was moving towards.
Shelters have been set up for those displaced, and authorities have distributed masks to local residents to protect them from air pollution from the ash.
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing from Mount Semeru and at least one village covered in ash and enveloped in a dark mist.
After the outbreak, according to an AFP journalist, the internet was cut and the mobile network was disrupted.
For its part, the Japanese weather agency warned of a possible tsunami caused by the eruption of the Indonesian volcano at around 2:30 p.m. (05:30 GMT) on the islands of Miyako and Yaeyama, in the extreme south of the Japanese archipelago to the Kyodo agency. An hour later, however, no damage had been reported.
The last eruption of Mount Semeru in December 2021 killed at least 51 people. Mudslides and ash engulfed entire villages and almost 10,000 people had to leave their homes.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the collision of continental plates causes intense volcanic and seismic activity. The Southeast Asian archipelago has about 130 active volcanoes.