A dramatic scene unfolded in Indonesia on Wednesday when Mount Semeru—one of Java’s most active volcanoes—erupted again.
It shot ash and gas high into the sky.
How high? Officials say several kilometres, though thick fog made it hard to measure. What they do know is clear: it was powerful.
The blast happened at 2:13 pm local time.
It triggered dangerous pyroclastic flows—those fast-moving clouds of scorching gas and debris you definitely don’t want to be near.
“The public is advised not to engage in activities within an 8-kilometre radius of the crater.
This is due to the risk of falling rocks,” warned geological agency chief Muhammad Wafid.
When the experts sound this serious, you listen.
Local disaster officials estimated the ash plume reached up to 8.5 kilometres into the air.
Volcano Risks Persist
Seismic activity around Semeru is still high, adding to concerns.
Yet despite the dramatic eruption, there have been no reports of injuries or evacuations so far.
Over in Bali—just 310 kilometres away and always packed with tourists—Ngurah Rai airport says flights are running normally. For now.
Of course, Semeru has a tragic history. Its deadly 2021 eruption killed more than 50 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
And with Indonesia sitting on the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire,” eruptions like this are more routine than residents would prefer.
Another reminder from nature that the ground beneath us is never as still as it seems.
