Photos: Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano erupts, spewing lava and ash

Lava streams down from Mount Semeru as seen from Lumajang in East Java province, Indonesia on December 2. Mount Semeru on Java island spouted a towering column of ash on December 1, prompting a call for around 500 people to temporarily evacuate their homes, AFP reported. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

A view of a steaming stream caused by flowing lava in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 2. Local disaster agency chief Agus Triono warned on December 2 that residents could still be at risk as heavy rains threatened to trigger more volcanic flows from the still-spewing crater, AFP reported. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

A villager stands on his farmland which was affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 3. Hundreds of Indonesians have fled their villages after the rumbling volcano spewed hot ash thousands of metres into the air and belched lava down its crater. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

A flow of volcanic ash is seen carried by the water following the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 3. Indonesia is home to about 130 active volcanoes due to its position on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

Villagers gather to check the damage caused by lava flow in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 2.In late 2018, a volcano in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands erupted, causing an underwater landslide that unleashed a tsunami which killed more than 400 people, AFP reported. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

Villagers collect clean water supplied by the local government following the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 3. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

A view of the damage caused by lava flow in Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia on December 2. The eruption on December 1 came days after Mount Ili Lewotolok roared back to life on the far eastern end of the archipelago nation. (Juni Kriswanto / AFP)

A man holds an umbrella as he looks at the damages caused by the eruption of Mount Semeru, in Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia on December 3. (Trisnadi / AP)