Lumajang. Heavy rainfall over the slopes of Mount Semeru, Lumajang, East Java, triggered a lahar flood that reached the Regoyo River on Wednesday afternoon. The disaster paralyzed community activities in Sumberlangsep Hamlet, Jugosari Village, Candipuro District.

The strong lahar flow in the Regoyo River cut off the connecting road, leaving hundreds of residents isolated. Rocks and the powerful current made the route impassable for vehicles.

As a result, 137 households in Sumberlangsep Hamlet struggled to carry out daily activities. A local resident, Arifin, said that people were even forced to wade through the flood to buy basic necessities.

“The road is blocked by the flood, and vehicles can’t pass. If we need food, we have to walk through the flood and then borrow a motorcycle from residents on the other side,” he said on Wednesday.

Another resident, Yuniarsih, also complained about the difficulty of meeting household needs. She said there was no other choice but to cross the flood. “There is no other way except this low bridge. So we’re forced to go through the flood to shop,” she said.

The lahar flood also affected education. Several schools in the affected area were forced to close as access was cut off.

According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), the lahar flood caused tremors with a maximum amplitude of 10 millimeters. Residents hoped the government would immediately restore road access so that daily activities could return to normal, since the low bridge over the Regoyo River is the only entry and exit route for the hamlet.

It is known that lahar floods in Sumberlangsep Hamlet, Jugosari Village, have become a recurring problem. Each time heavy rain falls, the hamlet becomes isolated due to lahar floods. Previously, in May and July, lahar flows from Mount Semeru also hit the slopes, trapping hundreds of residents of Sumberlangsep Hamlet without access to the outside after the main route was buried by volcanic material in the form of sand and rocks.

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