Mt. Merapi showers fine ash

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Yogyakarta Volcanic Technology and Research Development Station (BPPTK) reported on Saturday that fine ash had been flowing onto the slopes of Mount Merapi up to a radius of between 10 and 15 kilometers from the crater rim.

As of Saturday afternoon, the 2,968-meter-high volcano was still spewing out ash on nearby districts of Tempel and Turi in Sleman regency, Yogyakarta; Muntilan in Magelang regency, Klaten and Selo in Boyolali regency, all in Central Java.

"The fine ash was a result of continuous discharge of hot ash clouds and lava from the newly formed lava dome," Head of BPPTK's Volcanic Technology and Methodology Development Section, Antonius Ratdomopurbo, said.

"The volcano continuously discharged lava and clouds of hot ash from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. today. It's the longest period since the volcano began erupting on Jan. 14, 2001," Ratdomopurbo said, while citing that the lava and the hot clouds of ash had reached a distance of up to 4.25 kilometers.

A seismograph also recorded 18 discharges of hot ash clouds and lava during the observation period between 12 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Saturday.

The BPPTK continued a high alert status for Merapi and suggested residents living within a radius of seven kilometers from the peak leave the area, especially around the Kali Sat, Kali Senowo, and Kali Bebeng rivers. (swa)