INDONESIAN MOUNT MERAPI ERUPTING

By Andi Abdussalam

     Jakarta, May 15 (ANTARA) - Efforts to evacuate villagers from risky areas in the slopes of Mount Merapi have been intensified after the dangerous volcano in Indonesia began to erupt at around 5.40 a.m., early Monday.

        The fall of a clod of lava dome from its peak as well as the emergence of 'Wedhus Gembel' (hot clouds) since Sunday are believed by locals as a sign of imminent eruption.

        Sunday's increased volcanic activities followed the steps to upgrade the status of Merapi from 'alert' to 'red alert' on Saturday.

        "We continue to monitor the volcano which is now erupting," Head of the Yogyakarta-based Vulcanology Research and Development Center, Dr A Ratdomopurbo.

        Until 12.00 on Sunday, Merapi had spewed hot clouds 51 times and the biggest flow of hot cloud was seen at 7.30 a.m streaming to the northwest down to the upstream of Kraska river and Boyong river.

        At 10.30 a.m, the hot cloud was emitted and streamed down to the Gendol river.

        The lava dome which emerged as a result of magma pressures from inside has come to the highest point of Merapi's peak.

        Shaped like coconut shell, the dome has covered the whole surface of the Gendol plateau which so far held the lava fallouts.

        "That is why lava fallouts now were sliding down the slopes and the glowing volcanic materials are seen falling constantly," Ratdomopurbo said.

        He said that the temperature of the clouds on the surface was predicted to reach 950 degrees Celsius but it could drop to 300 decrees Celsius when they reached the slopes because of weather and wind effect.

        Up to now, the volcanic materials that had been emitted were estimated at 200,000 cubic meters. It means that there were about 2.3 million cubic meters of lava were still being kept in crater, he said.

        The status of Mount Merapi was upgraded from 'alert' to 'red-alert', the highest level on Saturday as the volcano's eruption was seen as imminent.

        Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, speaking at the Mount Merapi disaster mitigation center, said here on Saturday that all people living in danger zones had to be evacuated.

        As of Saturday 08.30 a.m., the volcano's status was raised to `"caution" after being on "alert" status since April 12, 2006.

        The 2,965-meter high Merapi, about 450-kilometers of southeast of Jakarta, is one of the 65 volcanoes listed as the most dangerous in Indonesia.

        On Sunday, a clump of Merapi's new dome was seen falling down from its peak together with clods of hot clouds at 10.45 a.m.

        Before it fell down, a part of the dome was seen hanging on the east side of the mount's peak and it could clearly be observed by villagers as far as 10 km from the mount's peak.

        At the time when a clump of the dome fell, the weather was clear so that villagers could clearly observe the event but a moment later, the peak of Merapi was covered by thick fogs that obstructed the eyesight.

        In order to anticipate undesired things, the locals have been intensely evacuated on Sunday.

        A total of 2,877 villagers of the targeted 7,000 had been evacuated until Sunday. Some others still refused to be relocated, however.

        "We cannot force them because they said they could not leave their animals and other properties. But we would eventually force them if the situation has become very critical," Suwandi, Klaten regional government official for social affairs, said.

        There are about 20,000 people living within the radius of 12 km from the slopes. Already relocated to temporary shelters were locals from three villages of Sioderjo, Balerante and Tegalmulyo. Evacuation Command Posts were set up in the villages of Dompol, Ngemplak Seneng and in the Kemalang district head office.

        Previously, Vice President Jusuf Kalla asked all people living at the slopes of Mount Merapi to move away as the volcano's status had been raised to the highest level.

        The caution status meant the mountain located between Central Java and Yogyakarta was showing signs it will erupt soon, he said here on Saturday evening after attending the commemoration of the Buddhist holy day of Waisak at the Borobudur temple.

        Jusuf Kalla said the central government through the Natural Disaster Management Coordinating Board would spend Rp20 billion in funds on efforts to evacuate people.

        "We have just transferred Rp15 billion to Central Java and Rp5 billion to Yogyakarta based on the proportion of the number of refugees," Jusuf Kalla said here on Thursday after chairing a meeting discussing efforts to anticipate a Mount Merapi eruption.

        The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has also prepared emergency assistance for about 20,000 local people in anticipation of the volcano's eruption, PMI chairman Mar'ie Muhammad said recently.

        "We have prepared assistance for about 20,000 refugees and about 400 PMI volunteers have been sent to the disaster prone area in Sleman, Magelang, Boyolali and Klaten districts," he said.

        He said PMI had also prepared 10 thousands of food packages ready to be consumed by refugees before public kitchens were set up.

        PMI has sent one unit of open truck, one unit of Ford Ranger jeep, eight units of platoon tents, more than 20 thousand masks, nine quintals of rice, 50 cartoons of instant noodles, 5000 packages of family kits and medicines.

        Vice President Jusuf Kalla said it was possible Merapi's eruption this year would be bigger than those in 1994 and 2001.

        Merapi, about 450-kilometers of southeast of Jakarta, is one of the 65 volcanoes listed as dangerous in Indonesia.

        It has erupted several times, of which the most deadly took place in 1930 killing 1,370 people. It also erupted in 1994, claiming the lives of at least 66 people.

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        (F.A014/A/A014/A/F001) 15-05-2006 09:39:20