Thousands on alert in Indonesia's Java after Mt. Semeru eruption - Reuters

JAKARTA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of residents in Indonesia's East Java were on high alert on Monday after a violent eruption at the island's tallest volcano prompted authorities to impose an 8-kilometer no-go zone and forced evacuations of entire villages.

The provincial search and rescue agency deployed teams to the worst-affected areas near Mount Semeru to assess damage, with low rainfall giving some reprieve, Tholib Vatelehan, a Basarnas spokesperson, told Reuters.

[1/6] Villagers stand in an area covered with volcanic ash as Mount Semeru volcano erupts volcanic materials, as seen in the background in Sumberwuluh, Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia, December 5, 2022, in this photo taken by Antara Foto.

The eruption, some 640 km (400 miles) east of the capital, Jakarta, follows a series of earthquakes in the west of Java, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.

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