Semeru

May 10, 1985 Eruption of Semeru

May 10, 1985 · VEI 3 · 70 deaths

Semeru in Indonesia erupted on May 10, 1985 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 70 people.

Where it erupted

Semeru, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date
May 10, 1985
Volcano
Semeru, stratovolcano
Country
Indonesia
Volcanic Explosivity Index
3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
Killed by
Avalanche (debris and landslides)
Location
8.108° S, 112.922° E

The toll

Deaths
70

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.

About 70 fatalities near Pronojiwo. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of Semeru

More

Every eruption in 1985The 1900sSemeruEarthquakes 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 203.