Semeru

April 18, 1885 Eruption of Semeru

April 18, 1885 · VEI 2 · 74 deaths

Semeru in Indonesia erupted on April 18, 1885 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. The eruption killed 74 people.

Where it erupted

Semeru, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date
April 18, 1885
Volcano
Semeru, stratovolcano
Country
Indonesia
Volcanic Explosivity Index
2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
Killed by
Avalanche (debris and landslides)
Location
8.108° S, 112.922° E

The toll

Deaths
74

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

A debris avalanche covering 6.7 km2 buried the Kali Bening estate with 4 administrators and some 70 Madurese workers and family members early in the morning. Another estimate lists 70-85 fatalities. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of Semeru

More

Every eruption in 1885The 1800sSemeruEarthquakes near SemeruThis day in weather history

Sources

Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 167.