VIDEO. Indonesia: Semeru volcano eruption plunges residents into darkness

Indonesia’s Semeru volcano in east Java erupted on Saturday, December 4, blanketing its surroundings in a thick layer of smoke and ash and prompting thousands to flee their homes. Residents had to evacuate residents as lava flows reached their villages, even destroying a bridge in the Lumajang region.

“Several regions have been plunged into darkness after being covered by volcanic ash”, explained the national agency of natural disasters. A video relayed by the agency shows residents, including children, running for shelter at the time of the volcano eruption.

An hour later, the area was plunged into darkness, as shown in this video posted by the same user.

The last major eruption of Semeru dates from December 2020. It had caused the flight of thousands of people and covered entire villages. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “ring of fire” where the meeting of the continental plates causes high seismic activity. This Southeast Asian archipelago has nearly 130 active volcanoes on its territory.