Indonesia’s most active volcano erupted with the largest lava flow in months on Monday, spewing a lava river and a cloud of scorching gas on the slopes of the densely populated island of Java, flowing down 3.5 kilometers (over 2 miles). When Mount Merapi erupted, the rumbling sound could be heard from several kilometers away, and hot volcanic ash sprayed into the sky 600 meters high. Volcanic ash covered nearby cities, but long-term evacuation orders have been issued near the volcano, and no casualties have been reported.
The head of volcanology and geology of Yogyakarta, Hanik Humeda, said this is the largest lava flow in Merapi since the authorities raised its danger level in November last year. Disaster Reduction Center. The volume of the southwestern edge dome is estimated to be 1.8 million cubic meters (66.9 million cubic feet), about 3 meters (9.8 feet) high, and then partially collapsed on Monday morning, which caused the pyroclastic flow to move rapidly along the southwest wing at least twice. During the day, the hot gas and lava moved at least 1.5 kilometers to the southwest.
This 2,968-meter (9,737-foot) mountain is located near Yogyakarta, an ancient city with a population of hundreds of thousands in a metropolitan area on the island of Java. The city is the center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties for centuries. Since the eruption started in November last year, Merapi’s alert status has been at the second highest level 4. Although volcanic activity has increased in the past week, the Indonesian Center for Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology has not raised it.
All four levels describe the rash activity as normal, mild, moderate, or severe. The agency stated that people are advised to stay 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) away from the crater and be aware of the dangers of lava. Humaida said the volcanic ash from the volcano covered several nearby villages and towns. The cloudy sky obscured the view from the top of the mountain. Mount Merapi is the most active volcano among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It has erupted many times recently and is accompanied by lava and gas clouds.
In November, the authorities evacuated nearly 2,000 people from the fertile hillsides of the Magelang and Slyman regions. In January, they evacuated about 550 people, but most of them have since returned. The last major eruption in Merapi in 2010 killed 347 people and prompted the evacuation of 20,000 villagers. Because it is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” (a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic faults surrounding the ocean), it is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
