At least eight villages near the volcano were affected by volcanic ash.
Mount Merapi in Indonesia has erupted, belching smoke and ash that blanketed villages near the crater and forcing authorities to suspend tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano.
The volcano, located in the special region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, erupted around 12:00 p.m. (0500 GMT) on Saturday and released clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that traveled up to seven kilometers (4.3 miles) down its slopes. .
A column of hot clouds rose 100 meters into the air, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The eruption throughout the day blocked out the sun. At least eight villages near the volcano were affected by volcanic ash, said an officer from one of Merapi’s observation posts.
Footage broadcast on the local Kompas TV channel showed houses and roads covered in ash in a village near the volcano, located on the island of Java.
The 2,963 meter (9,721 ft) high Merapi is one of the tallest asset volcanoes. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of some 280,000 residents.
Saturday’s was Merapi’s most powerful eruption since 1930, when around 1,300 people were killed. An eruption in 1994 claimed around 60 lives.
The volcano’s alert status remained at the second highest level since 2020 after showing renewed activity.
Indonesia, which has nearly 130 active volcanoes, is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes strong volcanic and seismic activity.
