An officer monitors the activity of Mount Merapi volcano after its alert level was increased following a series of minor eruptions. — Reuters photo
JAKARTA: Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia, spewed a column of ash 3,500 metres into air yesterday, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, Xinhua news agency reported.
The volcanology agency has raised the alert level of the volcano located in Java Island from the lowest to the second highest, national disaster management agency spokkesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
“All climbing activities, except for research purpose, is barred in the radius of 3 kilometre from the crater,” he said in a text message.
The volcano erupted four times since Monday, sending showers of ash on Sleman and Klaten districts.
‘’Many residents have been evacuated and their number is rising,’’ said Sutopo.
About 660 residents have taken shelter in safer ground. The national disaster management agency would coordinate with provincial disaster agency in anticipating the hike of the alert level. Mount Merapi has a population of 2.4 million.
Thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano.
The volcano has regularly erupted since 1948. In November 1994, pyroclastic flow from a big eruption killed 27 people,
The last big eruption was in 2006. — Bernama