JACARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated Java island, spewed hot clouds up to 4.5 kilometers (almost 3 miles) away on Saturday.
There were no immediate evacuations, but the National Disaster Mitigation Agency warned people living in villages on the mountain slopes of 3,676 meters (12,060 feet) high to be on the lookout for signs of danger.
The agency’s spokeswoman, Raditya Jati, said people around the river basin on the mountain slopes should beware of the high intensity of rainfall that can cause lava floods.
Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation has not raised the alert status of Semeru, which was already at the third highest level since the eruption began in May. The volcano spewed hot ashes for 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) in early December, causing panic among residents.
Indonesia, an archipelago with more than 250 million inhabitants, is located in the Pacific “Circle of Fire” and is subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.
A strong earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday morning, killing at least 46 people.