Mount Semeru, located in East Java, has once again shown volcanic activity by spewing an ash column approximately 800 meters above the peak, or about 4,476 meters above sea level on Tuesday afternoon (14/7/2026) at 14:15 WIB. This eruption adds to the long list of Semeru's volcanic activity, which has recorded 17 eruptions over the past week.
According to monitoring by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia system, the resulting ash column was white to thick gray and drifted toward the east. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 22 millimeters and a duration of 148 seconds.
To date, the disaster status of Mount Semeru remains at Level III (Alert). During seismic monitoring conducted between 06:00 and 12:00 WIB on the same day, officers recorded 14 eruption earthquakes, 7 avalanche earthquakes, and 4 gust earthquakes. This indicates that the volcanic dynamics inside the tallest mountain on Java Island remain highly active.
Responding to this situation, PVMBG issued safety recommendations for local residents. The public is strictly prohibited from conducting any activities in the southeastern sector along Besuk Kobokan up to a radius of 13 kilometers from the eruption center. Additionally, residents are asked to stay away from the riverbanks within a distance of 500 meters along the Besuk Kobokan flow to avoid the threat of pyroclastic flows and cold lava flows (lahars) that could potentially spread up to 17 kilometers.
Throughout 2026, the intensity of volcanic eruptions in Indonesia has been relatively high. Out of a total of 3,174 recorded volcanic eruptions across the country, Mount Semeru ranks first with the highest frequency of eruptions, reaching 1,402 events.
