Indonesia's Mount Semeru Erupts, Spews Huge Ash Cloud; Thousands Flee In Panic

Semeru's alert status has remained at its second-highest level since its previous major eruption in December 2020, which also forced thousands to flee and left villages covered.

Indonesia's Mount Semeru erupted on Saturday, spewing out a tower of smoke and ash that plunged local communities into darkness and forced thousands of nearby residents to flee.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, the country's disaster mitigation agency said.

But rescuers moved to evacuate local residents as lava reached nearby villages and destroyed a bridge in Lumajang regency in East Java.

"A number of areas went dark after being covered by volcanic ash," agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.