Indonesia's Merapi volcano erupts 4 times

Indonesia's most active volcano Merapi erupted four times with lava flowing as far as 1,500 metres from the crater, according to the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Centre.

"In six hours, Merapi also experienced 43 avalanche earthquakes for 10 to 141 seconds and five gust earthquakes for 11 to 27 seconds," the center's Head Hanik Humaida said on Thursday evening.

The mountain situated on the border between Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces was still belching thick white smokes as high as 50 meters above its peak, added Humaida.

Authorities urged people not to be in the danger zone within a 3-km radius of the peak and to avoid rivers originating from Merapi, such as Kuning, Boyong, Bedog, Krasak, Bebeng, and Putih rivers.

The volcano's 2010 eruption killed more than 200 people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

Indonesia has 127 active volcanoes and about 5 million people within the danger zones. - IANS