Lumajang, E Java, April 16 -- Mount Semeru, located on the border of Lumajang and Malang Districts in East Java, erupted five times early Thursday, sending ash columns up to 1,200 meters above its crater, Indonesia's volcanology agency said.

The first eruption occurred at 5:11 a.m. local time, producing an ash column about 800 meters high, drifting north and northwest, according to monitoring post officer Liswanto.

A second eruption followed at 6:21 a.m., with an ash plume reaching around 1,200 meters above the summit, or 4,876 meters above sea level, Liswanto said in a written report.

The ash was white to gray with moderate intensity and drifted northeast. At the time of reporting, volcanic activity at the 3,676-meter mountain was sti...