Gray Saturday on the Slopes of Mount Semeru

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Residents around Mount Semeru, Sumberwuluh Village, Candipuro District, Lumajang Regency, East Java, rescue pets, Sunday (5/12/2021).

There was a tense atmosphere along the Sumbermujur road, Candipuro, Lumajang, East Java, at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday (12/5/2021. Everyone looked as though they were in a hurry. Riding motorbikes, they carried bags full of clothes, their family members or even goats. There was a rumor that Mount Semeru had erupted again.

The rumor made the residents panic, especially after they knew that the eruption on Saturday (4/12) had devastated villages in Pronojiwo and Candipuro subdistricts, killing 14 people and injuring at least 98 others.

A joint team from the local government postponed its trip to Sumberwuluh, one of the affected areas. Police members in Sumbermujur also prohibited residents from going to Sumberwuluh. However, about 30 minutes after that, some residents, especially those from Sumberwuluh, were desperate to return home.

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They wanted to save goats that were left behind. There were also volunteers using pickup trucks to help the residents pick up their cattle from their villages.

There was a similar atmosphere in Supiturang village, Pronojiwo. Residents rushed to flee to a safer place while carrying mattresses, bags filled with clothes, as well as their livestock. “We just wanted to get clothes and something else. After this, we immediately returned to the refugee camp at Supiturang elementary school. I'm afraid that ash from Semeru will fall again," said Patra (40), a resident of Sumbersari hamlet in Supiturang village.

All men and women please come down. There is information that the ash has begun to fall.

The government officers went back and forth to remind residents to immediately return to the evacuation sites. “All men and women please come down. There is information that the ash has begun to fall. It's also cloudy and about to rain. It's better to be on guard so that it doesn't turn out like yesterday," said the officer.

The officers also helped the residents transport the goods they wanted to save so that they would feel at ease and stay at the evacuation sites for a while. "We are helping residents not to go back and forth to their homes because it is still dangerous," said Adjunct Commissioner Nono Sugiono, a commander of the East Java Police Mobile Brigade unit, in Supiturang village.

Can't be underestimated

No one expected that the eruption of Semeru on Saturday would have such a huge impact and destroy a number of villages. Patra, for example, was not so worried when the volcanic ash began to appear. However, he then chose to evacuate after seeing columns of thick hot clouds move to his village.

HUMAS PROV JATIM

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa when inspecting the location of villages affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru, Sunday (5/12/2021).

According to Patra, the impact of this eruption was greater than that in previous years. As a resident of a village prone to the eruption of Mount Semeru, Patra knows that the Semeru eruption should not be underestimated.

At the Penanggal village hall, Candipuro, Supriyanto, a resident of Sumberwuluh, said that on Saturday afternoon, the sky suddenly became dark like night, accompanied by the sound of thunder and prolonged rumbling. "Our family immediately ran as far as possible from the Curah Kobokan area to Sumbermujur," said Supriyanto with tears in his eyes. He was lucky, all his family members survived.

Marsukan and his family slept in a truck parked on the side of the highway. If things got bad, they could leave right away.

Amid the uncertainty, the family of Marsukan (70) in Supiturang village prepared a truck in front of the house. He loaded mattresses, blankets, pillows and some food in the truck and then covered it with tarpaulin. Marsukan and his family slept in a truck parked on the side of the highway. If things got bad, they could leave right away.

Liswanto, the head of the Mount Semeru Volcano Monitoring Post (PPGA) of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said the crater of the highest mountain on the island of Java could at any time spew hot clouds accompanied by volcanic ash.

In a number of villages, especially in Candipuro, warning signs, including evacuation routes, have actually been installed to warn people not to enter areas prone to being affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru.

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said the installation of warning notices and evacuation routes in villages affected by the eruption showed that mitigation efforts had been taken before the incident. However, it was difficult to predict when the eruption would occur, she added.

However, what residents really need is an early warning for potential natural disasters from the government so they will be aware of potential eruptions. There is still no disaster early warning system for the residents.

Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta

Refugees carrying plastic filled clothes prepare to return home after taking refuge at the Supiturang 4 Public Elementary School in Supiturang Village, Pronojiwo District, Lumajang Regency, East Java, Monday (6/12/2021).

“Residents rely on info from WhatsApp groups. I have joined the WhatsApp group of sand miners. If there is a warning from the PVMBG, I forward it to the chat group. So, the miners can immediately save themselves. I also forward the information to other residents, said Zainul Arifin, a resident of Supiturang.

Living on the ring of fire is definitely not easy. The ability of residents to apply local wisdom to recognize the potential for natural disasters in their surroundings is no longer as good as their ancestors. It is, therefore, necessary to prepare an early warning system from the government so that in the future an eruption of Semeru will not cause any casualties.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).