Evacuees' return canceled as Merapi still active

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Mount Merapi was still dangerously active yesterday, forcing the authorities to cancel plans of sending home about 5,500 villagers stranded at evacuation centers since the eruption last week.

Search and rescue workers said the death toll reached 48 yesterday. Dozens of people were still missing, presumably buried alive in burning lava that streamed down the volcano's slopes.

The latest victim was identified as 37 year old Ngatiman from the worst hit village of Purbowinangun, Sleman. He died at 1.30 a.m.

Deserted villages at the foot of the 2,962 meter high mountain were still declared as "no access" zones, preventing search and rescue workers from entering the areas.

Officials at the Merapi monitoring station recorded one tremor yesterday. They said the mountain gushed burning lava 165 times during the day.

As Mount Merapi's level of activity subsides, the massive deposit of lava on the slopes becomes a new threat to residents along the rivers that begin on the mountain. The lava will be washed down by heavy rains once they begin.

According to Mas Atje Purbawinata, chief of the Yogyakarta directorate of volcanology, up to 10 million cubic meters of cold lava has accumulated on Mount Merapi.

Many people living along the Boyong, Krasak and Bedog rivers have voluntarily moved to safer grounds for fear of a deluge of lava, he said.

On Monday night, residents along the Code River in Yogyakarta, which is highly susceptible to lava floods, held a mass prayer for safety. Several monitoring posts have been established along the river.

Surgeon Bayu Nugroho of the Sardjito Hospital, where dozens of the casualties were admitted, said doctors would start performing skin graphs on badly burnt people today.

He said the hospital would need the skin of young goats for the purpose. "We need the skin of several dozen goats aged about three months to cover the body of patients after undergoing surgery," he told The Jakarta Post.

Hospital sources said that the Japan International Cooperation Agency provided medical equipment worth about Rp 300 million (US$140,000) for the surgery.

Japan is also said to have sent six doctors to help with the operations.

Many evacuees have demanded they be allowed to return to their homes but officials are determined to keep them out of the area for a few more days until Mount Merapi calms down.

Aid relief from various organizations and individuals continue coming in.

Officials in Sleman said they collected 320 heads of cattle which survived the holocaust in Turgo village. They will be returned to their owners. (pan/har/wah)