Lumajang, East Java, Jan. 12 -- Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Districts, East Java, erupted on Sunday night (Jan 12), sending pyroclastic flows -locally known as hot clouds- as far as five kilometers from the summit.

"Mount Semeru erupted at 10:25 p.m. local time. The eruption consisted of a pyroclastic flow with a distance of approximately 5 km," an officer at the Mount Semeru Observation Post, Sigit Rian Alfian, said in a written report.

The eruption column was observed to be approximately 2,000 meters above the summit, or 5,676 meters above sea level (masl).

This latest activity follows a period of heightened unrest for the volcano, which has remained frequently active for several years.

"The ash column...