Culture
Shocking images of the Semeru volcano eruption in Indonesia
The eruption and subsequent pyroclastic flows have caused destruction in Indonesia.
December 6, 2021 10:56am
Updated: December 6, 2021 12:43pm
Semeru’s eruption in Indonesia has killed at least 22 people. At least 54 people were severely injured with burns from the lava and pyroclastic flows—a mix of ash, rock, and volcanic gas.
Authorities in Indonesia were able to identify 16 of the victims, including two women and two children. Five people remain unidentified, said infantry colonel Irwan Surbekti, the head of the volcano eruption management task force, in an interview with CNN.
Videos shared on social media show residents fleeing from a huge ash cloud that rises behind them.
16.50
— jogjaupdate.com (@JogjaUpdate) December 4, 2021
BPBD Provinsi Jatim dan BPBD Lumajang telah menuju lokasi untuk melakukan assesment dan evakuasi warga di sekitar Gunung Semeru. Silahkan mention jika ada yang dilokasi@PRB_BNPB pic.twitter.com/DYj8qIW23u
The ash rain left a desolate panorama in the area near the volcano. Houses and vehicles were buried by the materials expelled in the eruption.
Search and rescue operations have been difficult to carry out in the last three days in part because of the pyroclastic flows, but also because of the constant rains that have created mud and made the terrain risky.
Actualización erupción #Semeru, Indonesia🇮🇩
— SkyAlert (@SkyAlertMx) December 5, 2021
Se eleva a 13 el número de decesos, la mayoría por las oleadas piroclásticas (de toda los peligros volcánicos es el más mortífero). Cifras aún pueden aumentar.pic.twitter.com/ElGDSs0e9W
Witnesses said that the thick smoke left nearby villages in total darkness.
The eruption took place at approximately 2 p.m. local time. Local authorities established a restricted zone 5 km from the crater.
Mount Semeru reaches a height of 3,676 meters above sea level and is one of the 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It last erupted in December 2020.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where continental plates cause frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
Erupción del volcán Semeru deja 13 fallecidos y 41 heridos en #indonesia pic.twitter.com/CRJ8c6kkC8
— PRENSA Virtual (@PRENSAVirtual_) December 5, 2021
