Authorities in Indonesia have raised the alert level for the highest volcano on Java island, warning that Mount Semeru could blow up again after a sudden eruption earlier this month left 48 people dead.
Indonesia’s geological agency said on Saturday that it picked up increasing activity that could trigger an avalanche of lava and searing gas, similar to the December 4 incident.
That eruption was preceded by heavy monsoon rains that partially collapsed a lava dome on the 3,676-metre (12,060-foot) mountain.
Arifin Tasrif, minister for energy and mineral resources, said new areas could be affected in the case of another eruption.
That’s because about 8 million cubic metres (283 million cubic feet) of sand from the volcano’s crater was clogging the Besuk Kobokan River, which is in the path of the lava flow.
“As a result, if there is another eruption, it would block the flow path and create new lava flows spreading to the surrounding area,” Tasrif said, adding that the government had set up a new danger map and urged people to obey it.