Merapi volcano spews hot lava as seen from Turi, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, March 14, 2023 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. - Antara Foto/Andreas Fitri Atmoko/via REUTERS
JAKARTA, March 14 (dpa): Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, ejected hot clouds of ash and gas as far as two kilometres down its slopes on Tuesday.
The eruption lasted for 160 seconds, sending hot volcanic debris travelling along the Krasak river, according to the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, a government agency that monitors volcanic activity.
No casualties or damage were reported, but the agency warned residents and tourists to stay away from the danger zone within a radius of 5 kilometres from the peak.
Mount Merapi, which means "Fire Mountain" in Javanese, is located on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, about 400 kilometres south-east of Jakarta, the capital.
The volcano has been erupting intermittently since 2020, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes.
The last major eruption of Mount Merapi occurred in 2010, when it killed more than 350 people and displaced about 400,000 others.
