Indonesia evacuates people near active Merapi volcano
Indonesian authorities asked residents living near Merapi volcano on Java island to promptly evacuate and shut down an airport in Yogyakarta city after the mount erupted.
Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian authorities asked residentsliving near Merapi volcano on Java island to promptly evacuate and shut down anairport in Yogyakarta city after the mount erupted, sending an ash column ashigh as over 5km.
The Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo PurwoNugroho said peopleliving within 5 km radius of the crater was forced to flee to safety, addingthat nearly 120 people are now in safe places.
The State-owned aviation agency of Indonesia, Airnav said ina statement that Adi Sucipto airport in Yogyakarta city, was also closed due tothreat from the ash.
Mount Merapi is located on the border between central Javaand Yogyakarta provinces. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and haserupted regularly since the 16th century. It is about 28km north of Yogyakartacity with thousands of people living on the flanks of the volcano.
The volcano erupted most in 2010 following a large eruptionin 1872, leaving at least 113 people dead and nearly 1,800 others injured.-VNA
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Merapi volcano spews ash column (Source: Reuters) 
