Climbers at Indonesia’s Mount Semeru safe after sudden volcanic eruption

More than 170 climbers were safely evacuated as a result of Mount Semeru’s sudden eruption, according to Indonesian authorities.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation’s head, Priatin Hadi Wijaya, stated in a video news conference on Thursday that “they are safe and are now being helped to return.”

On Wednesday, at least 178 people climbed the 3, 676-meter (12, 060-foot) mountain in the Lumajang district of East Java province, including climbers, porters, guides, and tourism officials, and left stranded at the camping area Ranu Kumbolo.

Hetty Triastuty, a representative at the center, added that Ranu Kumbolo is a safe haven away from the crater’s main danger zone, 8 kilometers (5 miles).

The camping area is located on the mountain’s northern slope, which is not in the way of the observed south-southeast moving hot cloud flow.

The climbers may have been exposed to volcanic ash, though.

On Wednesday afternoon, the eruption of Mount Semeru in eastern Java caused officials to raise the alert status to its highest level by dumping ash and gas more than 13 kilometers (8 miles) away.

Semeru is Indonesia’s highest peak, and it is located on the “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active arc where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common.

Still being traumatized

According to Sultan Syafaat, a representative for the disaster management agency, nearly 900 people were sheltered after the eruption in schools, mosques, and village halls.

They spend the night [in shelters], he said, likely because they are still traumatized.

Faiz Ramadhani, a resident, claimed the eruption had been “very horrible”.

It was like midnight at that time, four in the afternoon, four. The 20-year-old described the situation as “very dark.”

Some of the homes close to the volcano had rock fragments and volcanic ash buried in places.

The village leader of Supiturang, Nurul Yakin Pribadi, described how shocked he was to discover that his home had been damaged.

He told AFP that his house had a metre-high spill of [volcanic] materials. “Many people’s homes were ruined,” the statement read.

In the past 200 years, Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times, most recently in the deadly 2021 episode that left 62 people dead and encircling villages in hot ash.

Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other nation, and Semeru’s frequent activity is closely monitored due to the dangers it poses to nearby towns, transportation routes, and aviation.