Indonesia raises alert for volcano

INDONESIAN authorities have raised the alert for Mount Semeru volcano to the highest level after a series of eruptions, prompting evacuations.

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The volcano is the highest peak on Java, the most densely populated island in Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java province unleashed avalanches of searing clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that travelled up to 4.3 miles (7km) down its slopes several times between midday and dusk, while a thick column of hot clouds rose 1.2 miles (2km) into the air, Indonesia's Geol