"The peak was not visible due to the thick haze. Massive rumbling was heard for around two minutes. However, the outer observation post said that the mount had only spewed black smoke," Purwono, the Officer at Mount Merapi Observation Post in Babadan in the Dukun sub-district of Magelang district, said on Monday.
At around 08:00 a.m., the condition of the volcano, located on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta, had returned to normal, while the peak was still covered with a white haze, he stated.
Meanwhile, the black smoke sulvatara and material avalanche in the form of sand drifted eastwards to the Boyolali district in Central Java.
There was no rain on the mountains peak while it spewed the ash.
"However, it was raining around the slope last night," Purwono pointed out.
Sutar, a resident of the Kajangkoso hamlet in the Mangunsoko village of Dukun sub-district, said that the erupting mountains rumblings had been heard till villages located seven kilometers southeast of the mountain.
However, the village's daily activities had remained normal till 08:15 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency in Sleman district, Julisetiono pointed out that Mount Merapi had emitted thick smoke of up to two kilometers in the air from 04:50 a.m. until 06:00 a.m. local time followed by a rumbling, triggered by a local tectonic tremor.
"This type of eruption was phreatic. This was similar to what happened on July 22, when the mountain had suddenly erupted in the morning," Julisetiono stated.
Todays eruption was bigger than the July 22s, but the mountain's status is still active normal or Level I.
Due to the eruption, hundreds of residents from three hamlets in the Glagaharjo village of the Cangkringan sub-district in the Sleman District were seen fleeing their homes.
The three hamlets are Kalitengah Lor, Kalitengah Kidul and Srunen.
However, all the residents of these three hamlets have now returned home.
"There were around 600 families assembled together in each hamlet, with some of them taking shelter in Glagaharjos village Hall," Julisetiono said.
The most vulnerable villagers, which were 15 babies, 26 elderly, eight pregnant women and a disabled person, were taken to the Glagaharjo village hall.
"Residents are well aware of disaster mitigation related to Mount Merapi. When they see activity on the mountain, they promptly adopt safety measures and head to the refugee assembly point," Julisetiono said.
Reporting by: M. Hari Atmoko and Victorianus Sat Pranyoto
EDITED BY INE
(A059/KR-BSR/O001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
