Authorities in Indonesia’s densely populated Central Java province said on Sunday surface tremors and multifaced quakes continue on Mount Merapi — one of the world’s most active volcanoes — and warned that a major eruption could take place in a few days.
Vulcanologists in the nearby town of Yogyakarta, about 450km south-east of Jakarta, said a total of nine surface tremors and as many as 156 multifaced quakes were recorded from Merapi’s crater in the previous 24 hours.
”Therefore, we maintained Merapi’s status on level-three alert,” said Triyani, an official at Merapi’s nearby monitoring post, explaining that surface quakes are caused by magma rising to the surface of the volcano. ”It’s very clear something will happen, but it is very difficult to say when.”
However, another expert warned that it is merely a ”matter of time” before Merapi’s status will be upgraded into a state of alert, when residents living on the danger zones will have to flee their homes immediately.
Vulcanologists at the Merapi’s monitoring centre said the volcanic material at the peak of the mount continues to increase in volume, providing conditions for a major eruption. They added that monitors and seismic measurements show that magma is moving around the inside of the mountain, especially near the crater’s peak where it is building a lava dome.
”The dome continues to grow as more molten material moves to the volcano’s crater vent, while the number of seismic tremors is also increasing,” said vulcanologist Mas Atje Purbawinata.
Purbawinata estimated that the lava dome at the top of the mountain contains about 10-million cubic metres of lava, creating the potential for a major explosion.
In line with the Merapi’s rising activity, government authorities in central Java province are trying to prepare residents living on the Merapi’s danger zones to flee their homes.
More than 30 000 people living in the danger area on the slopes of Merapi would have to be evacuated immediately should it erupt, local government authorities have said.
Many villagers living on the danger zones have so far largely ignored warnings about the danger of the volcano’s imminent eruption, prompting concerns that many will refuse to evacuate their homes due to traditional beliefs if ordered to flee.
Fewer than 1 000 people living on the slopes of Merapi have been evacuated so far from villages in Dukun sub-district — most of them women, elderly and children. But hundreds of others remain.
Most Javanese, who make the majority of Indonesia’s 220-million people, are Muslim, but many follow animist beliefs and worship ancient spirits, and believe a supernatural kingdom exists on top of Merapi.
The crater was put off-limits to climbers since April 12, while at the same time experts banned nearby residents and sand diggers from carrying out their activities in Merapi’s slopes area.
The 2 968m-high Merapi is one of 65 volcanoes listed as dangerous in Indonesia. The volcano’s most deadly eruption took place in 1930, when 1 370 people were killed. It also erupted in 1994, claiming the lives of at least 66 people.
Indonesia has the world’s highest density of volcanoes with 500 located in a so-called ”Ring of Fire”, along the 5 000km-wide archipelago nation. Of these, 128 are active. — Sapa-dpa