Volcano danger

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 8

Volcano danger

NZPA Jakarta The authorities in central Java planned to evacuate thousands of families living around the Merapi volcano which had begun erupting in the last few days, the national news agency, Antara, said yesterday. ' Last week more than a million cubic metres of rock and mud tumbled down the slopes of the 2900 metre volcano after heavy rains while hot clouds of gas and ash shot 1500 metres into the air and set fire to the forest nearby. Observers counted 600 lava eruptions and more than 1000 emissions of ash on Friday, the agency said. Ash rain had fallen on the town of Boyolali, 35km east of the. peak, and officials say a big eruption could threaten Jogyakarta, a city less than 25km to the south. Natural disaster teams were watching the volcano round-the-clock, Antara said, and had prepared evacuation hostels in neighbouring areas. Experts believed the main danger was from hot poisonous gases and heavy rains causing mud avalanches rather- than from a major volcanic explosion.