A scared lady rushes, screaming for refuge indoors as vast plumes of billowing grey smoke and ash fill the darkened sky-this is just one terrifying sight shared by a TikTok user who lived through a large volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Java this weekend.
@novanhendri510 #semeru ♬ suara asli - novanhendri510
The video, which has had over five million likes on TikTok since it was shared in the aftermath of Saturday's eruption, was one of a series shot by on-the-ground users portraying the anguish of living through such a natural disaster.
Other Footages
@novanhendri510 lavagunung semeru mengalir deras membawa matrial baru pasir ♬ suara asli - novanhendri510
Several other footages posted on the platform included:
- A rainstorm of volcanic ash poured down on stranded motorists along a highway, blanketing everything in thick gray soot.
- Cascading rivers of steaming hot mud.
- An ash-covered motorcyclist pleading for help.
- A village encircled by vast walls of looming smoke.
"The locals assumed it was just usual flooding," says the author, "but we had no idea it was boiling mud." As rain and burning smoke dropped, the sky darkened dramatically. Because it was raining, we were able to breathe," one witness told AFP.
Related Article: Mt. Semeru Eruption: As Death Toll Rises, Search for Survivors Halted Due to Deadly Conditions
Indonesia's Geographic Location
Indonesia, a massive archipelago nation with the world's fourth-largest population, is located on the Ring of Fire, which has some of the world's most active volcanoes.
1815 Eruption
The 1815 Tambora eruption in Southeast Asia was the most violent volcanic event ever documented in human history.
The highest peak in East Java, Semeru, is one of the most popular hiking locations in the country. It is a highly active volcano that has erupted 55 times since 1818, with 11 of those eruptions resulting in fatalities.
Related Article: Experts Warn of Dramatic Sea Level Rise if Antarctic Volcanoes Erupt
Search and Rescue
Currently, search and rescue workers on the ground are reporting an increasing death toll from the current eruption, with at least 14 people killed and many more injured. Semeru erupted in January as well, although no one was killed.
According to rescue crews, over 1,300 people have been evacuated from the area so far, with the potential of pyroclastic flows-a substance more deadly than lava made up of ash, rock, and volcanic gases-remaining high.
Volunteers said suffocating smoke, a power outage, and rainstorms had impeded rescue attempts, which Indonesian meteorologists predict will continue in the coming days.
Rough Year
@tamitachandr #semeru ♬ suara asli - michan
After a series of devastating natural catastrophes, including massive floods and landslides that displaced tens of thousands in central South Kalimantan and Borneo island, and a deadly earthquake that killed dozens on the island of Sulawesi in January, Indonesia has had a challenging year.
Also Read: Long Valley Supervolcano: World's Most Dangerous Volcano Shows Signs of 'Imminent Eruption'
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