The Lumajang Regency Government has officially denied the truth of the video content regarding the eruption of Mount Semeru uploaded by the YouTube account @bencanapopuler on July 3, 2026. The narrative presented in the video was declared inaccurate and potentially misleading to the public regarding the current condition of the volcano.
The Chief Executive of BPBD Lumajang Regency, Isnugroho, emphasized that the results of field verification and data synchronization with the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) showed discrepancies between the video visuals and the actual volcanic activity on the ground. He urged the public to remain calm and not share unverified content to prevent unnecessary panic.
Based on official data from the MAGMA Indonesia system, Mount Semeru did record eruptive activity on July 3 at 06:06 WIB with an ash column height of 700 meters, followed by a second eruption on July 4 at 06:08 WIB reaching 1,400 meters. All of this data has been published transparently by the authorities as the primary reference for residents.
Currently, the status of Mount Semeru remains at Level III (Alert). The BPBD of Lumajang Regency continues to urge the public not to conduct activities along the southeastern sector of Besuk Kobokan up to a radius of 13 kilometers, and to avoid the area within a five-kilometer radius of the crater to anticipate the risks of pyroclastic flows and lava avalanches.
This case serves as an important reminder of the urgency of digital literacy among the public. The local government encourages residents to always make official information channels from PVMBG, BPBD, and the Lumajang Regency Government their sole reference when monitoring disaster developments to support effective and accurate mitigation.
