Mt. Merapi still threatening

SEMARANG: Mount Merapi, which erupted on Jan. 17, is threatening to flood rivers near the volcano with cold lava, an official said yesterday.

Mas Atje Purbawinata, chief of the Yogyakarta-based Merapi monitoring agency, said about 2.7 million cubic meters of cold lava was forming a dome on the mountain's top.

The dome, which is larger than the one formed after the Nov. 22, 1994 eruption, could wash down after heavy rain, he said.

"The lava is dangerous. When a major tremor occurs, it could drop. Merapi is not yet stable and people living on its slopes should be wary," he said.

The Jan. 17 eruption forced more than 18,000 million people in three nearby regencies to flee their homes. Several people were reportedly injured. (har)