Indonesia’s Semeru volcano spews huge ash cloud when it erupts

Semeru volcano, the highest peak on the Indonesian island of Java, has erupted, spewing a huge ash cloud 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) above the summit.

Large plumes of smoke could be seen engulfing a bridge and spreading into the surrounding countryside, giving locals pause.

CCTV footage showed pyroclastic flows – rapid avalanches of hot gas, ash and volcanic rock – rolling down the mountain as far as 7 kilometers from the summit.