Indonesia’s Merapi volcano erupts with avalanches of gas clouds, lava  – National – English SiapTV.com

On Saturday, Indonesia’s Mount Merapi eruption unleashed avalanches of scorching gas and lava clouds, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano.

Merapi on the densely populated island of Java released clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that spread over its slopes for 7 kilometers (4.3 miles). A column of hot clouds rose 100 meters into the air, Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency, said.

The eruption blotted out the sun during the day and covered several villages in falling ash. No casualties have been reported.

It was the biggest lava flow in Merapi since authorities raised the alert level to the second highest in November 2020, said Hanik Humaida, head of Yogyakarta’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

She said residents living on the slopes of Merapi have been advised to stay 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away from the mouth of the crater and be aware of the danger posed by the lava.

Tourism and mining have been halted.

The 2,968 meters (9,737 feet) mountain is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Yogyakarta, the ancient center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties dating back centuries. About a quarter of a million people live within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the volcano.

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Merapi is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia and has erupted with lava and gas clouds on numerous occasions recently. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people and displaced 20,000 villagers.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it is located along the “ring of fire” – a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean.

As a result of the eruption of the Semeru volcano, the highest volcano on the island of Java, in December 2021, 48 people were killed, 36 were missing.