Thousands evacuated after Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts

JAKARTA. KAZINFORM Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Sunday, blanketing roads and homes in volcanic ash and prompting evacuations of nearly 2,000 residents in East Java province, according to authorities in the country, CNN reports.

A statement Sunday from Indonesia’s disaster management agency (BNPB) said no injuries or deaths have so far been reported and evacuees have taken shelter in public facilities, including village halls and schools. More than 20,000 face masks have been handed out to mitigate respiratory health risks from volcanic ash, it added.

Mount Semeru, which lies around 640 kilometers (400 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, began erupting at 2:46 a.m. local time Sunday (2:46 p.m. ET Saturday), according to BNPB. Videos shared by BNPB showed nearby villages covered in gray ash.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, PVMBG, said in a statement the alert level of volcanic activity had been raised to the highest Level 4.

The agency warned residents to stay at least 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) away from Semeru’s eruption center, adding that volcanic ash had reached as far as 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the epicenter.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the plume from the eruption reached 15 kilometers (about 49,200 feet) into the air. The agency said in a statement Sunday there had been no tsunami impact following the eruption.

Photo: edition.cnn.com