Hot lava destroys pine trees

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)