Mount Semeru Eruption Prompts Evacuations,Disrupts Air Travel in Indonesia
Lumajang,east Java,Indonesia – November 19 (UPI) – A major eruption of Mount Semeru,Indonesia’s tallest peak on the island of Java,has forced the evacuation of over 300 people and triggered a red alert for aviation on Wednesday. The eruption, which began at 4 p.m. local time, sent columns of volcanic ash soaring 6,500 feet into the air.
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the alert level for Mount Semeru to Level 4 – the highest possible designation – indicating an ongoing eruption. Authorities are prohibiting access within a 12-mile radius of the volcano due to the risk of lava flows and hot ash clouds, noting the volcano can eject pyroclastic rocks up to 5 miles from its 12,060-foot summit.
The eruption prompted a red aviation alert from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, signaling a meaningful threat to air traffic.While Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia are currently monitoring the situation, no flights have been cancelled as of wednesday evening. Airlines have stated they will proactively contact passengers should flight schedules be impacted.
Indonesia, situated on the Pacific ring of Fire, is home to 101 active volcanoes and experiences frequent eruptions, according to the Smithsonian institution Museum of Natural History Global Volcanism Program.
