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The Merapi volcano in Indonesia erupted overnight, sending hot lava and ash down its slopes and forcing over 250 residents to flee, according to the country’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) on Thursday.
Between near midnight (1700 GMT) and 2 a.m. local time Thursday, Merapi spewed hot clouds containing ash and volcanic materials that flowed 5km (3.1 miles) down its slopes, according to Indonesia’s geological agency on Twitter.
According to the BNPB, 253 residents in the Yogyakarta province of Indonesia were evacuated, and ash blanketed some villages. There were no reports of casualties at the time.
The latest hot cloud was sent down the volcano’s southeast slope at 7.33 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to the agency.
More lava flows and hot clouds are potential hazards, according to the BNPB, which warns people living within 7 kilometers of the volcano to stay away.
Merapi, a 2,963-metre-high (9,721-foot) volcano in Indonesia, was already on the country’s second-highest alert level.
Indonesia has more volcanoes than any other country due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Merapi last erupted violently in 2010, killing over 350 people.
The Semeru volcano in East Java province erupted in December, killing nearly 60 people.
