Hot lava destroys pine trees

SEMARANG: Hot lava from last week's eruption of Mount Merapi has burned down thousands of pine trees in an area controlled by a state-owned forestry company in Magelang Regency, Central Java.

The spokesman for PT Perhutani's estate company, Toto JS Bedjoe, said yesterday that the burned pine trees, which covered an area of 114 hecatares, were between one and two years old.

Ninety percent of the 42,500-hectare forest area were planted with pine trees, Antara reported.

He said that the burned trees could not be treated and must be replaced with new ones.(sim)