Indonesia has raised the warning to its highest level as a volcano erupts. An eruption of the Mount Semeru volcano in Indonesia has caused residents of Java, the largest island in the country, to be forced to flee their homes. Ash has been spewing into the atmosphere.
The authorities upgraded the level of the warning status for the volcano, which indicated that the volcano's activity had increased.
Although there have been no reports of injuries, authorities were forced to evacuate around 2,000 residents from the area around the volcano.
As "hot avalanches" of lava poured from Semeru, people were strongly encouraged to maintain a distance of at least 8 kilometers (5.0 miles).
A representative for Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) told a national station that the hazard level has been raised from three to four, which implies that the danger now threatens people's homes.
According to the organization, a bridge that was in the process of being reconstructed after a previous eruption had suffered significant damage.
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 1,969 individuals, including children and old citizens, were evacuated because volcanic ash mixed with monsoon rain was falling on surrounding villages.
It was added that at least six different communities have been affected.
As a result of a tremendous cloud of ash, the event was captured on video, which showed the sky going completely dark.
After the eruption, Japan issued a tsunami warning for its islands in the southernmost part of its archipelago, although meteorologists reported that no changes in the tide had been seen.
The authorities have reported that Mount Semeru, located in East Java province, started erupting at approximately 02:46 local time (19:46 GMT).
Indonesia is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of the Earth's crust that is prone to regular earthquakes and volcanic activity due to the collision of tectonic plates.
The volcano Semeru, sometimes referred to as "The Great Mountain," is located in Java and stands 3,676 meters (12,060 feet) tall, making it the island's tallest peak and one of the most active. It has been exactly one year since its most recent eruption, which resulted in the deaths of at least fifty people and left the streets flooded with muck and ash.
In addition, the eruption comes after a string of earthquakes on the western side of Java island, which is around 640 kilometers (400 miles) east of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. One of these earthquakes occurred just a month ago and was responsible for the deaths of more than 300 people.