TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

BNPB evacuates 10 trapped miners after Semeru volcano erupts

Semeru, the tallest mountain on Java island, threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages in East Java province and sent people fleeing in panic.

Reuters
Lumajang, East Java
Sun, December 5, 2021

Share This Article

Change Size

BNPB evacuates 10 trapped miners after Semeru volcano erupts Villagers and rescuers inspect an area covered with volcanic ashes at Sumber Wuluh village, in Lumajang, on December 5, 2021, in an attempt to find survivors or bodies after the Semeru volcano eruption. (AFP/Juni Kriswanto)

T

en people trapped after Mount Semeru volcano erupted have been evacuated to safety, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Sunday, as the death toll from the disaster climbed to at least two and with dozens injured.

Semeru, the tallest mountain on Java island, threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages in East Java province and sent people fleeing in panic.

The eruption severed a strategic bridge connecting two areas in the nearby district of Lumajang with the city of Malang and decimated buildings, authorities said.

BNPB official Abdul Muhari told Reuters that 10 people trapped around mines near the volcano had been evacuated, without elaborating.

Thoriqul Haq, A local official in Lumajang, said earlier that sand miners had been trapped around their work sites.

East Java Deputy Governor Emil Dardak told news channel Metro TV that one more death has been reported, bringing the total to two.

Morning Brief

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.

Delivered straight to your inbox three times weekly, this curated briefing provides a concise overview of the day's most important issues, covering a wide range of topics from politics to culture and society.

By registering, you agree with The Jakarta Post's

Thank You

for signing up our newsletter!

Please check your email for your newsletter subscription.

View More Newsletter

BNPB said at least 35 people had been hospitalised, while Lumajang's deputy head said 41 people suffered burns.

Semeru, more than 3,600 metres (12,000 feet) high, is one of Indonesia's nearly 130 active volcanoes. It erupted in January, causing no casualties.

Indonesia straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

Separately, an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck north of Halmahera on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. Halmahera is about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) northeast of Semeru. (Reporting by Nilufar Rizki; Writing by Stanley Widianto; Editin

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.