Indonesia's volcanic eruption claims 25 lives
MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia (AP) — Rescusers scoured the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano Wednesday after it was rocked by an eruption that spewed clouds of searing ash, killing at least 25 villagers including an old man known as the mountain's spiritual gatekeeper.
The blast eased pressure that had been building up behind a lava dome perched on the volcano's crater, but experts said the worst may not be over. The lava dome could unleash deadly gases and debris if it collapses.
"It's a little calmer today," said Surono, the chief of Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. "No hot clouds, no rumbling. But a lot of energy is pent up back there. There's no telling what's next."
Mount Merapi, which translates as "Fire Mountain," has erupted many times over the last 200 years, often with deadly results. In 1994, 60 people were killed, while in 1930, more than a dozen villages were incinerated, leaving up to 1,300 dead.
Still, as with other volcanoes in Indonesia, many people call its fertile slopes home. More than 11,000 live near Merapi.
Though thousands streamed into makeshift emergency shelters after Tuesday's powerful eruption, many started returning Wednesday saying they had to tend to their crops and protect their homes.
"I keep thinking about what's happening up there, with my cows, my property," said Hadi Sumarmo, who has a farm in Srumbung, a village three miles (seven kilometers) from the crater's mouth. "I just want to go back to check. If I hear sirens, I'll get out again quickly."
Even as rescue officials contended with the volcano — one of 129 to watch in the world's largest archipelago — officials were trying to assess the impact of a 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Sumatra island that triggered a three-meter (10-foot) -high tsunami, killing more than 100 people and leaving scores missing.
The twin disasters happened hours apart in one of the most seismically active regions on the planet.
A volunteer watches as Mount Merapi spews volcanic smoke in the background in Kaliadem, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010. Indonesia's most volatile volcano started erupting Tuesday, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful eruption in years. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara)
Mount Merapi spews volcanic smoke as seen from Balerante, Central Java, Indonesia, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010. Pressure building beneath a lava dome in the mouth of Indonesia's most volatile volcano could trigger one of its deadliest blasts in years, scientists warned Tuesday, as residents living along the slopes were moved to temporary camps. (AP Photo/A.K. Hendratmo)
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi (literally Mountain of Fire in Indonesian/Javanese), is a conical volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is very close to the city of Yogyakarta, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1700 m abovesea level.
The name Merapi could loosely translated as 'Mountain of Fire' from the Javanese combined words; Meru means "mountain" and apimeans "fire". Smoke can be seen emerging from the mountaintop at least 300 days a year, and several eruptions have caused fatalities. Hot gas from a large explosion killed 64 people on November 22 in 1994, mostly in the town of Muntilan, west of the volcano[citation needed]. Another large eruption occurred in 2006, shortly before the Yogyakarta earthquake. In light of the hazards that Merapi poses to populated areas, it has been designated as one of the Decade Volcanoes.
On 25 October 2010 the Indonesian government raised the alert for Mount Merapi to its highest level and warned villagers in threatened areas to move to safer ground. People living within a 10km (6 mile) zone were told to evacuate. Officials said about 500 volcanic earthquakes had been recorded on the mountain over the weekend of 23-24 October, and that the magma had risen to about a kilometre below the surface due to the seismic activity.[2] On the afternoon of 25 October 2010 Mount Merapi erupted lava from its southern and southeastern slopes
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