Indonesian authorities are closely monitoring several volcanoes after sensors picked up increased activity in recent weeks, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. Hot ash tumbled as far as 9,800 feet down the slopes of Mount Semeru early today, triggering panic among villagers, said Raditya Jati, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman. Falling ash and sulfur blanketed several villages around its slopes. The 12,060-feet mountain in Lumajang district is the highest volcano on Indonesia's most densely populated island of Java. Jati said authorities are still trying to evacuate about 550 people living on the mountain's slopes. There were no reports of injuries or serious damage, he said. Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center did not raise Semeru's alert status, which already was at the third-highest level since it began erupting in May. Villagers and tourists are advised to stay 2.4 miles from the crater, the agency said.
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