Indonesian volcano Semeru erupts, ash reaches 3,000 metres PHOTO

Indonesia’s Semeru volcano has erupted in East Java province, sending a column of ash 3,000 metres above the crater, according to the Antara news agency.

This places the ash cloud at approximately 6,676 metres above sea level.

The ash plume spread rapidly towards the south-east. Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation has urged local residents and tourists to remain vigilant and keep a distance of at least five kilometres from the crater due to the risk of hot rock ejections.

Semeru, Indonesia’s fourth-highest volcano, rises to 3,676 metres and is the tallest peak on the island of Java.

By Aghakazim Guliyev