Volcano spews gas and ash
2006-06-08 08:43
Jakarta - Indonesia's Mount Merapi spewed a spectacular roiling cloud of hot gas and ash down its southern slope on Thursday, sending more than 15 000 villagers fleeing to safety, government officials and witnesses said.
The volcano has been venting steam and ash for weeks, but the 09:15 burst was the largest yet, with billowing, dark gray clouds avalanching 5.5km down its slopes, said Sugiono, an Indonesian vulcanologist.
It was one of a series of powerful explosions early on Thursday at Indonesia's most dangerous volcano.
Some scientists say a May 27 earthquake that killed more than 5 700 people in an area just 40km south of Mount Merapi may have contributed to the volcano's heightened activity in recent weeks.
Lava dome could collapse
The rumbling mountain's lava dome has swelled, raising concerns that it could suddenly collapse and send scalding clouds of fast-moving gas, lava and rocks into areas that have yet to be evacuated.
"A lot of people are panicking," said Sutomo, a government official at the scene, adding that 3 500 people had fled Sleman district on Merapi's southern side, some running and others piling in trucks and heading to nearby towns at the base.
Another 12 000 left their villages in Magelang district, on the west, another official said.
Thousands evacuated
The government raised Merapi's alert to the highest level three weeks ago and started evacuating thousands of people living within seven kilometres of the crater to government shelters, schools and camps.
Some people refused orders to leave, however, saying they wanted to tend to their livestock and crops on the volcano's fertile slopes.
Stubborn villagers within the danger zone said on Thursday that the latest burst would not scare them off.
"We are worried, but we won't leave," Supriatun, told The Associated Press by mobile phone. "As long as the hot clouds do not reach us, we won't leave our village."
- AP