Indonesia’s Merapi volcano erupts with avalanches of gas clouds, lava
Global News
Merapi, on the densely populated island of Java, unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that traveled up to 7 kilometers down its slopes.
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted Saturday with avalanches of searing gas clouds and lava, forcing authorities to halt tourism and mining activities on the slopes of the country’s most active volcano.
Merapi, on the densely populated island of Java, unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, lava and gas that traveled up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) down its slopes. A column of hot clouds rose 100 meters (yards) into the air, said the National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
The eruption throughout the day blocked out the sun and blanketed several villages with falling ash. No casualties have been reported.
It was Merapi’s biggest lava flow since authorities raised the alert level to the second-highest in November 2020, said Hanik Humaida, the head of Yogyakarta’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center.
She said residents living on Merapi’s slopes were advised to stay 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) away from the crater’s mouth and be aware of the danger posed by lava.
Tourism and mining activities were halted.
The 2,968-meter (9,737-foot) mountain is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Yogyakarta, an ancient center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties going back centuries. About a quarter million people live within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the volcano.
Merapi is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia and has repeatedly erupted with lava and gas clouds recently. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people and displaced 20,000 villagers.
Five more countries and the Palestinian Authority were added to the list of countries facing a full ban on travel to the U.S., while new limits were imposed on 15 other countries.
The couple were Bondi locals and described by their loved ones as an 'honest' and 'hardworking' couple who were 'devoted' to their family.
A statement issued by the National Council of Canadian Muslims says the delegation was barred from entry by Israeli authorities as 'public safety threats.'
The lawsuit, filed in a Florida court, seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.
Lai, a former media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, was found guilty Monday of violating Hong Kong's stringent, China-imposed national security law.
U.S. officials said talks in Berlin led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided, as well as on Moscow’s demand that Ukraine concede land.
Ahmed Al Ahmed jeopardized his life when he tackled one of two alleged shooters to the ground and seized his gun during Sunday’s attack on a Jewish gathering on Bondi Beach.
'They passed directly in our flight path.... They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous,' the JetBlue pilot said in a conversation with air traffic control.
At least 11 people were shot and killed on Sunday during a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring it a terrorist attack.
The victim was walking about 200 metres ahead of a friend near an area known as the '560-meter rocky peak,' when the friend heard a cry for help.
Thomas Plamberger and his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, were attempting to scale Austria's tallest mountain in the middle of winter, despite her inexperience.
The Canadian economy achieved a trade surplus for the first time since the trade war began, as exports rebounded and imports fell in September, according to Statistics Canada.
The development has frustrated deportations of foreign nationals accused of fuelling B.C.'s extortion boom.