Lava flows from the crater of Mount Merapi in Indonesia as the volcano belches more clouds of gas and ash. Source: AFP
A PAIR of massive explosions beneath Mount Merapi unleashed terrifying ground tremors and sparked panic in Indonesia, as the volcano spewed molten rock three miles into the Javan skies.
The spectacular disgorgement of boiling ash and lava yesterday was the largest in a series of eruptions over the past eight days, defying predictions that Mount Merapi had already delivered its worst. Earlier eruptions claimed 39 lives after lava flows and tremors caused deadly avalanches.
The eruption coincided with a visit by President Yudhoyono to people living in emergency camps at the foot of the volcano.
Before yesterday's blasts the President had reiterated the assurances of vulcanologists that, while there would probably be more eruptions in coming weeks, they would be "small ones".
Almost 80,000 people have been forced from their homes by the recent blasts and into emergency shelters outside a 10-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano. Yesterday authorities extended the radius of the zone to more than nine miles, ordering evacuations that could affect at least 100,000 people and cancelling flights that would route planes near Merapi.
Many residents did not need the warning, leaping on motorcycles and fleeing refugee camps as the two blasts shook the earth and ash began to rumble down the volcano's slopes. Relief workers described people screaming and fainting as the eruption continued for more than two hours.
Because of the evacuations last week, the human toll from yesterday's eruption is expected to be low.Many residents did not need the warning, leaping on motorcycles and fleeing refugee camps as the two blasts shook the earth and ash began to rumble down the volcano's slopes. Relief workers described people screaming and fainting as the eruption continued for more than two hours.
But residents said that they faced financial ruin because many had been forced to abandon livestock that represented their sole financial assets.
Several farmers reported having sneaked back inside the exclusion zone to check on the wellbeing of their herds.
Last week, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and a powerful tsunami hit the Indonesian Mentawai islands.---The Times (the australian)
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