According to the country’s disaster management agency, Indonesia’s Merapi volcano erupted on Saturday, with hot clouds rising up to seven kilometers.
The volcano in Yogyakarta erupted at around 12 p.m local time, with a lava flow of 1.5 km observed. Authorities have warned residents in the nearby areas to avoid activities within the danger zone, which ranges between three to seven kilometers from the crater.
Merapi, which stands at 2,963 meters (9,721 feet), is among Indonesia’s most active volcanoes and had already been on the country’s second-highest alert level. According to Yulianto, an official at the local monitoring post, no residents have been evacuated so far. Still, if the coverage continues to increase and extends beyond seven kilometers, it is likely that residents will be recommended to evacuate.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, has more volcanoes than any other country.
Merapi’s last violent eruption was in 2010, which claimed over 350 lives.
