Indonesia: Mount Merapi spews lava, smoke

By Mahmut Atanur

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) - The Merapi volcano on Java island has begun to spew lava as smoke and ash bellowed 50 meters (164 feet) above its crater following the eruptions on Sunday, Indonesian officials reported.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazar Mitigation (PVMBG) said in a statement that lava flowed from the volcano 36 times within a period of six hours, descending up to 1,500 meters down its southwestern slope.

Authorities currently are not planning to bring back residents who had been evacuated earlier amid previous volcanic activity, warning people not to venture within five kilometers (3.1 miles) of the volcano which is now under "orange" alert status.

Roughly 280 km east, Mount Semeru erupted also on Saturday, pouring ash and smoke more than 4.5 km into the sky.

In 2010, pouring lava from Merapi caused the loss of 347 lives.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas