Indonesia's Mount Merapi unleashed a torrent of hot clouds, turning the sky a fiery red, as molten lava flowed down its slopes on Thursday with the eruption forcing over 250 people to flee their homes, authorities said. "Due to the avalanches of hot clouds and ash, 253 people took shelter," Abdul Muhari said in a statement. Residents have been told to steer clear of an area spanning a seven-kilometre radius surrounding Merapi's crater over warnings of lava and airborne volcanic material, Muhari added. Hot clouds and smoke from the eruption blotted out the sky in parts of the densely-populated Java Island, near Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of around 280,000 residents from surrounding areas.

Source: The Standard March 10, 2022 19:18 UTC