Mount Merapi volcanic eruption cloaks Indonesia's villages in hot clouds, ash

Indonesia, which is home to one of the world's most active volcanoes, witnessed the eruption of Mount Merapi on Saturday, March 11. Thick plumes of smoke occupied the air, while ash took over villages located near the crater, ANI reported. According to the Merapi Volcano Observatory, the ash cloud of the volcano reached 9,600 feet or 3,000 meters above the volcano's top.

The eruption, which occurred on Java Island, resulted in molten lava trickling up to 7 kilometers down the slopes. Furthermore, warm clouds emerged up to 100 meters in the air, according to Abdul Muhari, the spokesperson of the National Disaster Management Agency. 
  
Authorities set up a restricted area of seven kilometers from the crater in order to avoid posing a danger to the locals. "To anticipate potential danger from Mount Merapi eruption, the public is advised to stop any activities in the potential danger area," agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. 

Indonesia - abode to 130 active volcanoes

While the eruption did not lead to any casualties, residents were informed to expect minor "disruptions" due to ash. They were also warned of the possibility of volcanic mudflow, a phenomenon when it rains near a volcano. According to an officer stationed at one of Merapi's observation posts, volcanic ash has affected eight villages situated nearby.

Indonesia is home to almost 130 active volcanoes, thanks to being geologically located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which is where continental plates meet, thus resulting in heightened seismic and volcanic activity. Last year in March, Mount Merapi erupted multiple times, forcing around 250 people to evacuate overnight. But the volcano's most devastating eruption was in 2010 when 347 people died and 20,000 villagers were moved to temporary shelters.