Mount Semeru Erupts Seven Times in Three Hours in East Java

Lumajang: Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang districts in East Java, erupted seven times within a three-hour period on Wednesday morning, sending ash columns between 300 and 800 meters above the summit.

According to observations from the Mount Semeru Observation Post, as quoted by Antara on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, the first eruption occurred at 4:58 a.m., producing an ash column approximately 500 meters high that drifted northeast.

The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 millimeters and a duration of 138 seconds, the observation post reported.

The second eruption followed at 6:10 a.m., with an ash column reaching around 700 meters above the summit, said Liswanto, an officer at the observation post.

The third eruption occurred at 6:56 a.m., generating a white-to-gray ash column about 300 meters high with light intensity drifting northward.

A fourth eruption was recorded at 7:05 a.m., sending a white-to-gray ash column approximately 600 meters above the summit with moderate intensity toward the north.

The fifth and sixth eruptions took place at 7:15 a.m. and 7:46 a.m., producing ash columns of about 800 meters and 400 meters above the summit, respectively.

The seventh eruption occurred at 8:02 a.m.; however, no visual observation was possible due to fog surrounding the volcano.

Liswanto said Mount Semeru remains on Level III (Alert) status, prompting the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) to issue safety restrictions.

Authorities have prohibited all activities within a 13-kilometer radius of the summit in the southeastern sector along the Besuk Kobokan River, as well as within 500 meters of riverbanks beyond that zone.

Residents have also been advised to avoid areas within a five-kilometer radius of the crater and to remain vigilant for potential hazards, including pyroclastic flows, lava flows, and cold lava floods along nearby rivers.