In Indonesia, the volcano Merapi spits fire again: The mountain, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupted again on Friday evening. On Saturday, it continued to hurl hot ash and other volcanic material out of its interior. Pictures from the state Merapi observatory showed a glowing lava flow on the mountain as well as a column of smoke up to 1300 meters high above the mountain.

The authorities called on the population to be on alert because of possible mudslides, especially if it rained on Mount Merapi. The volcano had already erupted the week before, ejecting volcanic material up to 3000 meters high. At least eight nearby villages were covered with volcanic dust.

The second highest warning level applies

Mount Merapi is located on the island of Java near Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta. The volcano has been subject to the second-highest warning level since November 2020. In March 2022, an eruption forced several residents to flee. The last major eruption of Mount Merapi occurred in 2010. At that time, more than 300 people lost their lives and about 280,000 residents had to leave their homes. It was the most momentous eruption since 1930, when about 1300 people died.

There are almost 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The state in Southeast Asia, consisting of more than 17,000 islands, is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and seismic activity is particularly high. Therefore, in addition to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes are not uncommon in Indonesia.