Mount Merapi rises from slumber

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