Merapi victims undergo surgery

YOGYAKARTA: Surgeons performed plastic surgery on nine victims of the Merapi eruption Saturday and will operate on another four today.

Coordinator of the medical teams assisting Merapi victims Bayu Nugroho said results of the procedures could be seen two weeks from now.

Meanwhile, Director General of Geology and Mineral Resources Adjat Sudradjat said that the volcano remained active and that minor tremors were still being felt nearby.

Search and rescue workers canceled plans to enter the worst- hit village of Turgo and others near the Boyong river for fear of pounding rain which could wash the massive lava deposits down the slopes of the mountain.

Officials at the Merapi monitoring agency yesterday recorded 37 lava emissions from the 2,962 meter high volcano.

As of yesterday afternoon, the death toll from the Nov. 22 eruption stands at 56 but is expected to increase. Many of the 29 victims hospitalized with burn injuries are in seriously critical condition.(har/imn)