Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia, erupts on March 27. (Source: Xinhua/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia, erupted on March27, spewing a column of ash of up to 5km high, forcing local authorities toissue a flight warning.
The volcano,situated in the main Java Island, started erupting at 10:56 am (Jakarta time),the Center for Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology ofthe Volcanology Agency in Yogyakarta province said in a statement.
The wind blowsto the southwest of the crater, it said.
The agencyheightened the volcano observatory notice for aviation (VONA) to the highestlevel with a red code from the green-code normal level.
The red codemeans that planes are banned from flying through the air space above the areaaround the volcano.
Residents areprohibited from having activities in a radius of 3 km from the crater.
The volcanolast erupted on March 3, spewing a column of ash of up to 6km to the sky.
The 2,930meter-high Mount Merapi, one of Indonesia's 129 active volcanoes, has regularlyerupted since 1548.
During itseruption from October to November 2010, a total of 353 people were killed andabout 350,000 others were forced to evacuate.
Indonesia, avast archipelagic nation, is prone to volcanic activities and earthquakes as itlies along the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire."/.
VNA
