A powerful volcanic eruption in Indonesia sent residents fleeing as Mount Semeru released a towering ash column and pyroclastic flow - a fast-moving, superheated cloud of dense volcanic gas, ash and debris capable of destroying nearly everything in its path.

The Geological Agency has set the volcanic activity status of Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, to level IV or Warning since Wednesday afternoon, November 19, 2025, at 5:00 PM local time. An hour earlier,

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano erupted around 4:00 p.m. local time, sending ash more than 6,500 feet into the air, according to data from the country’s Center for Volcanology.

Indonesia's Mount Semeru volcano, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang districts in East Java, has erupted, with local people evacuated from the area

The distance of Semeru volcano's pyroclastic flow, originally at 4.5 km, has now extended to 8 km. Its maximum amplitude has also increased to 40 mm.