MT Merapi Spouts Ashes and Sand on Thursday

Sleman, Yogyakarta (Antara) - Mount Merapi, in the border of Sleman, Yogyakarta and Central Java, spouted ashes and sands toward south and east area at around 1 a.m. local time, on Thursday, after rumbling and spouting thick smokes. "Just a moment ago, I heard a rumble like a helicopter from Mount Merapi's top and then I saw thick smokes that looked like hot smokes during the eruption, but it was whiter," explained Heri Suprapto, head of Kepuharjo Village, one of the villages in Mount Merapi's slide, Yogyakarta. According to Heri, all villagers are safe and there will be no need to evacuate since they have moved to a relocation area after the eruption in 2010. An officer of Mount Merapi's monitoring post in Kaliurang, Sleman, Yulianto, also confirmed the rumble, though he will be checking on the information whether the ashes and sands were indeed spouted in south and east area, such as Cangkringan and Srunen sub-districts, as well in River Gendol which flows from Merapi's foot. "After the rumble, there have been no other activities from Mount Merapi," Yulianto stated. The rumble was also heard in Mount Merapi's monitoring post in Srumbung, Magelang, Central Java, but the ashes and sands were not found. "It is likely that we heard a five minute rumble, and when it happened, the mountain top was covered with haze, though there's no rain. So, visually we didn't find any volcanic spouts," pointed out Triyono, an officer of Mount Merapi's monitoring post in Srumbung, Magelang. Up to now, the status level of Mount Merapi has remained normal active. (*)