TripZillaMount Merapi in Central Java experienced a phreatic eruption, a phenomenon caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. Spewing smoke and ash, the eruption resulted in a temporary closure of Yogyakarta’s Adisutjipto International Airport. The airport was temporarily shut on Friday until 11.10am (local time) because of the threat from the ash but has since reopened.
The Sleman Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) in Yogyakarta has also instructed residents, within a 5-kilometer radius of Merapi, to evacuate the area.
Image credit: Crisco 1492
Several AirAsia flights to Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur have been cancelled on Friday afternoon following the eruption of Mount Merapi, with airlines sending notices to customers through email and text message. Eight Garuda Indonesia flights were also cancelled following the increased activity of Mount Merapi.
The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) assured that Merapi’s status had not been raised and remains “normal”. The agency will continue to monitor the eruption closely.
