Mount Semeru, located in Lumajang Regency, East Java, has once again shown a significant increase in volcanic activity. On Friday (3/7/2026), the highest mountain on Java Island was observed spewing a column of volcanic ash reaching a height of 1,300 meters above the peak of the Jonggring Saloko crater.
The moments of the eruption were clearly recorded by surveillance cameras (CCTV) installed by volunteers in Oro-Oro Ombo Village, Pronojiwo District. According to an official report from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), 11 visual eruptions were recorded over the last six-hour period, characterized by white to gray smoke.
In addition to the visual increase, seismograph instruments recorded intense seismic activity, including 15 eruption earthquakes, two emission earthquakes, and two distant tectonic earthquakes. Although the intensity of the eruption has increased, the Lumajang Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reported that residential areas around the mountain slopes remain safe and have not been directly affected.
Nevertheless, relevant authorities maintain Mount Semeru's status at Level III (Alert). The public is strictly prohibited from conducting activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan within a 13-kilometer radius from the eruption center. A similar warning applies to areas outside this radius, specifically a ban on activities within 500 meters of the riverbanks to anticipate the threat of expanding pyroclastic flows and cold lava mudflows (lahars).
The Lumajang BPBD Operations Control Center (Pusdalops) team has deployed personnel at the Curah Koboan Observation Post to monitor the situation in real-time. Residents are urged to remain vigilant, especially when the summit area experiences heavy rainfall, as the accumulation of volcanic material at the peak could trigger pyroclastic flows at any time.
