Indonesian Volcano Spews Ash as Officials Grapple With Disasters

Lava flows during an eruption of Mount Semeru in East Java, Jan. 16.Photographer: Agus Harianto/AFP/Getty Images
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Mount Semeru volcano on Indonesia’s main Java island spewed hot ash as high as 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) on Saturday, prompting authorities to warn people to keep a distance.

People shouldn’t carry out any activities within a radius of 1 kilometer from the crater, the country’s national disaster mitigation management in a statement on Saturday. The volcano alert level was at “watch,” two notches below the highest “warning” rating.