advertisement

Indonesian volcano spews ash, debris

MENTAWAI ISLANDS, Indonesia — Indonesia's most volatile volcano is again spewing clouds of hot ash and debris. There have been no new reports of injuries or damage.

The latest rumblings of Mount Merapi — which has tallied 33 deaths since it sprang back to life early this week — come as rescuers cope with a rising death toll from a tsunami in another part of the sprawling archipelago nation.

The number of people killed there climbed Friday to 399.

Government volcanologist, Subandriyo, said the last eruption occurred at 6:10 a.m.

Heavy ash and debris avalanched about 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) down the mountain's southern slope. Most residents in that area were earlier evacuated to emergency shelters well away from the base.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.