After the highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated island erupted, triggered by monsoon rains, nearly 2000 people were evacuated.
Mount Semeru in Lumajang district in East Java province spewed thick columns of ash more than 1,500 meters (nearly 5,000 feet) into the sky Sunday. Villages and nearby towns were blanketed with falling ash, blocking out the sun, but the rescue authorities said there were no immediate reports of any casualities from the semeru volcano, and the country’s transport ministry said that there was no impact on air travel, though the notices was sent to two local airports for vigilance.
“They have learned an important lesson on how to avoid the danger of eruption,” said Kajar Kuning hamlet while inspecting a damaged bridge.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 270 million people, sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines, and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, day by day the risk of livelihood is getting under questioned.