Mount Merapi rises from slumber

BOYOLALI, Central Java: Mount Merapi in Central Java has shown increased volcanic activity since Friday, raising concern among local residents. The frequency of minor quakes near Mount Merapi rose from 26 on Friday to 36 on Sunday, although it later decreased to 10 quakes on Monday. There was no activity on Tuesday.

"The magma position is still some two kilometers below the top of the crater of Mount Merapi, but we have to be on alert after volcanic quakes at Mount Merapi and its surrounding areas," said Luwarno, the chief of Selo district in Boyolali, the closest area near Mount Merapi, as quoted by officials from the Yogyakarta Volcanology Office.

Luwarno has called on residents living in three subdistricts near Mount Merapi to be vigilant over a possible eruption. The three subdistricts -- Jrakah, Klakah and Tlogolele -- are situated some 3.5 kilometers from Merapi's crater. There are some 8,000 people living in the subdistricts. -- JP