Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupts
SINGAPORE: Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano has erupted, spewing clouds of hot gas and ash. The mountain "has exploded already", the head of the Merapi section at the Centre of Vulcanological Research and Technology in Yogyakarta said. He cautioned, however, that Merapi's eruption process could be gradual rather than a sudden burst, and that the massive eruption scientists fear had yet to come.
According to the Indonesian national Antara news agency, the volcano erupted at 0540 am local time (2240 GMT Sunday). Weeks before the eruption, there had been intense activity at the 2,914-metre (9,560-foot) peak in the densely-populated Central Java province. Blazing lava had been oozing down the slopes of Merapi and on Saturday, vulcanologists raised Merapi's alert status, triggering the evacuation of thousands of people from its fertile slopes. But many others had been defying orders for a mandatory evacuation and were insisting on staying in their homes.
As clouds of deadly hot ash, rock fragments and volcanic gas surged down Merapi's slopes on Monday, some nearby villagers scurried for safety. Grey ash covered crop fields and hundreds of rooftops in the area of Ketep, 10 km (six miles) from the base of the mountain, and many houses appeared deserted after residents evacuated. Not everyone was gone, however. Some people cleaned ashes off their houses and others opened shops, while commercial mini-buses continued to run. As ash rained down on villages around the mountain, schoolchildren in uniform hurried to class, covering their noses and mouths.
Officials have not released overall figures for the number of people who are considered to be in the immediate danger zone, but Vice President Yusuf Kalla said last week that about 34,000 were considered to be at risk. Merapi last erupted in 1994, killing 66 people. - CNA
Anyway, a side-point- we have sort of like prepared for this/on stand by for like almost 2-3 weeks already! and i also dunno whether this is considered full eruption or not...
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