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Indonesia: Mount Merapi erupts, spews red-hot lava

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Feb 19, 2021, 03:21 PM IST
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Lava flows down from the crater of Mount Merapi as seen from Kaliurang, in Yogyakarta on February 19, 2021 Photograph:(AFP)

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Residents were told to avoid the area within five-kilometre radius of the crater

Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes located in Indonesia, erupted on Friday. The volcano is close to Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta on Java island. The volcano spewed lava almost two dozen times over last two days and caused hundreds of volcanic quakes, as per Indonesia's geological agency.

"This morning, lava avalanches were observed seven times," the agency said, with the lava travelling up to 700 metres to the southwest.

However, an official warning over the status of the volcano was unchanged at its second highest level, where it has remained since November last year.

Residents were told to avoid the area within five-kilometre radius of the crater. Warning about lava as well as airborne volcanic material was was issued.

Last month, Mount Merapi spewed huge clouds of smoke and ash.

Mount Merapi's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of around 280,000 residents from surrounding areas. 

That was its most powerful eruption since 1930, when around 1,300 people were killed, while another explosion in 1994 took about 60 lives. 

The Southeast Asian archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

(With AFP inputs)