VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Deputy Head of Lumajang District Indah Amperawati appealed to all residents who live in the red zone of the Mount Semeru eruption in Lumajang District, East Java Province, to take refuge to  safer sites.

"We ask residents in the red zone, such as Supiturang Village in Pronojiwo Sub-district and Kajar Kuning Hamlet in Sumberwuluh Village, Candipuro Sub-district, to evacuate to safer places," she said while visiting the Mount Semeru Monitoring Post, here, on Sunday.

The volcano erupted and emitted a hot cloud avalanche as far as seven kilometers (km) on Sunday at 02.46 a.m. local time. Meanwhile, the height of the eruption column reached 1.5 km above the mountain peak.

“If there are people who do not want and object to (be evacuated), then our officers will force them to evacuate," the district deputy head remarked.

She informed that the Operations Control Center (Pusdalops) of Lumajang District Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) noted that the residents of Supiurang Village had evacuated themselves at several locations.

The locations included Supiturang 4 Elementary School, Pronojiwo 2 Junior High School, Oro-oro Ombo Village Hall, and the Supiturang Mosque.

  "Meanwhile, some of community in Kajar Kuning Hamlet in Sumberwuluh Village, Candipuro Sub-district had taken refuge to the Mount Semeru Monitoring Post," Amperawati stated.

A Mount Semeru Monitoring Post Officer, Mardian, urged the people to comply with the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency’s (PVMBG’s) recommendations on Mount Semeru eruption.

PVMBG forbid the community to stay near the volcano within a radius of eight km from its peak.

Meanwhile, at the southeast sector of the mountain, including Besuk Kobokan and Kali Lanang, the people are not allowed to carry out any activity within a radius of 19 km from the peak of the volcano.

In addition, the public is asked to stay vigilant against potentials for hot cloud avalanches and cold lava flows along the rivers and valleys, especially in the areas of Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat. (Antaranews)