Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Merapi volcano erupted on Saturday, sending a hot cloud up to seven kilometres, the country’s disaster management agency said in a statement.
The volcano, located in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta Special Region, erupted at around 12 noon local time (0500 GMT) and saw a 1.5km lava flow, local authorities said.
The statement said residents of the surrounding community have been warned to stop any activity in the danger zone within a radius of three to seven kilometers from the crater.
The 2,963-metre-high (9,721 ft) Merapi is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and was already at the country’s second highest alert level.
Yulianto, an official at the local observation post, said no residents had been evacuated.
“It has been observed only as a one-time event, 5-6 avalanches have occurred. If the coverage continues to increase and the distance is more than 7 kms, it is likely that residents will be recommended to evacuate,” They said.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, has more volcanoes than any other country. Merapi last erupted in 2010, killing more than 350 people.
featured video of the day
Are investigative agencies being used to sabotage the opposition?