JAKARTA: Hundreds of Indonesians stayed in temporary shelters after a volcano on the main island of Java erupted, damaging houses and a school, with around 190 people evacuated from its slopes, authorities said. Mount Semeru in eastern Java erupted on Wednesday afternoon, throwing ash and gas more than 13 kilometres (eight miles) away and forcing officials to raise the alert status to its highest level. Volcanic activity had largely calmed down but was still fluctuating on Thursday, according to the Indonesian geological agency.
Nearly 900 people stayed in shelters set up in schools, mosques and village halls after the eruption, disaster agency official Sultan Syafaat said. Some houses near the volcano were partially buried by volcanic ash and rock fragments. At least one elementary school was flattened, Lumajang district secretary Agus Triyono said, adding that authorities were still gathering data on the damage to infrastructure. At least three people suffered from burns, a search and rescue official said in a statement. — AFP
