VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mount Semeru, also known as Mahameru, erupted again on Saturday afternoon (4/12) with a plume of ash rising upwards. The highest mountain on the Java Island and located in the Lumajang area, East Java has actually erupted with incandescent lava and roaring sounds since Friday afternoon (3/12).

According to data from the National Disaster Management Agency, as of Sunday morning (5/12), there were 14 casualties and dozens of others suffered burnt as a result of this eruption.

What happened to Mount Semeru has received serious and immediate attention from the Indonesian government. Vice President, Ma'ruf Amin in his press statement during a working visit in Bali, Sunday (5/12) issued a number of instructions to ministries/agencies related to the eruption of Mount Semeru. He asked the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, and the East Java Provincial Government to immediately take action. He also asked Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini to provide assistance. To the Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, the Vice President requested that assistance to the victims be carried out by preparing medical treatment. The victims who experience the impact of the eruption are expected to be immediately treated by medical personnel. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency was asked to immediately provide shelter for the affected people, as well as to search for victims. The Governor of East Java and all regional heads and ranks of the Regional Leadership Communication Forum in the East Java region, were also asked to move quickly to provide assistance.

In addition, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin also requested that the disaster early warning system always work well in order to minimize casualties. According to the Vice President, early warnings are not only for mountain eruptions, but also for other disasters, such as floods and landslides. In addition, early warning must also be followed by disaster prevention efforts.

Indonesia is known to be prone to natural disasters, both tectonic and geological, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, as well as hydrometeorology, including floods and droughts. To minimize the impact of disasters, the increase in the number of early warning tools in places that have the potential for disasters must continue to be intensified. In addition, public knowledge about disasters, especially how to deal with disasters, needs to be improved. If not, the impact of the ordeal, that befell Indonesia towards the end of 2021, could happen again.