Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews hot lava, safety warning issued

Jakarta (The Uttam Hindu): Mount Merapi, located near the densely populated city of Yogyakarta, the capital of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Province in Indonesia, emitted hot lava on Friday. The volcano erupted five times, with lava flows reaching up to 1,900 metres. This prompted the country's Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre to issue a warning for the safety of nearby residents.

The potential dangers include hot clouds and lava flows, according to the centre. For areas south and southwest of the crater, these threats could extend up to 7 km, while for regions southeast of the volcano, the danger zone reaches 3 km. Monitoring data indicates that Mount Merapi continues to produce magma, posing a risk of hot cloud emissions in the affected zones.

Residents have been advised to avoid activities within the hazardous areas and remain vigilant for possible lava floods and hot clouds during heavy rains. Standing at 2,968 metres, Mount Merapi is one of Indonesia's 127 active volcanoes, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on October 3, 2024, Indonesia's most active volcano, Mount Merapi, emitted 21 lava flows towards the southwest, according to the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Centre.

The centre urged people to avoid activities in danger zones that might be affected by lava flows and hot clouds. The danger zones extended up to seven kilometres in the south-southwest sector and three kilometres to the southeast of the volcano. In the event of an explosive eruption, volcanic material could have reached up to three kilometers from the peak. Mount Merapi, volcanic mountain peak located near the centre of the island of Java, Indonesia. The volcano is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Yogyakarta and somewhat farther south of Semarang. Merapi (“Mountain of Fire”) rises to 9,551 feet (2,911 metres) and has steep slopes with dense vegetation on its lower flanks. It is the most active of Indonesia’s 130 active volcanoes. One of its largest eruptions occurred in 1006 and spread ash throughout central Java. Other major eruptions were in 1786, 1822, 1872, 1930, and 1976.