Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts with bursts of lava and ash
- The mountain has seen increased volcanic activity in recent weeks, with its lava dome growing rapidly before partially collapsing on Sunday
- The 2,968m peak is near Yogyakarta, an ancient city of several hundred thousand people embedded in a large metro area
Mount Merapi unleashed clouds of hot ash at least seven times since Sunday morning, as well as a series of fast-moving pyroclastic flows, a mixture of rock, debris, lava and gasses, according to Yogyakarta’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center. The rumbling sound could be heard several kilometres away.
The mountain has seen increased volcanic activity in recent weeks, with its lava dome growing rapidly before partially collapsing on Sunday, sending rocks and ash flowing down the volcano’s southwest flank, said the centre’s head Hanik Humaida.
Ash from the eruption blanketed several villages and nearby towns, she said.
Villagers living on Merapi’s fertile slopes were advised to stay 5km away from the crater’s mouth and should be aware of the danger posed by lava, Indonesia’s Geology and Volcanology Research Agency said.