Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Indonesia

Indonesia: Merapi Erupts on 8 June 2006

Kamis, 8 Jun 2006 - 12:43 -- dibaca sebanyak 7 kali - After 27 days on Red Alert status since 13 May 2006, this morning (Thursday 8 June 2006) at 9.03 and 9.38 AM local time, Merapi erupted and spewed a huge amount of pyroclastic flows to the west and south direction. The pyroclastic flows reached the distance of 5 kilometers to the south direction to Kali Gendol (upstream). The flows that formed a huge mushroom cloud ehave burned part of the forest at the north of Kaliadem in Sleman regency Yogyakarta Province.
Blazing lava could also be seen flowing to the direction of Kali Gendol and Kali Krasak, reaching about 1.5 kilometers downwards. Ash falls are also reported happening in Srumbung, Dukun and Muntilan districts of Magelang regency.

Because of this eruption, the villagers whom some of them are still coming back to their village during the day started to run and avoid the heat clouds, but most of the villagers, especially vulnerable groups like pregnant women, children/babies and the elderly have been evacuated since Sunday, 4 June 2006.

This eruption followed the increasing activity of Merapi since the earthquake of 27 May 2006 in Yogyakarta happened. At early Thursday, 8 June 2006, Merapi dome keeps spewing lava and pyroclastic flows and since 3 AM to 6 AM local time, lava flows recorded happened for 8 times and several times of pyroclastic flows.

The eruption is quite large because at Sunday, 4 June 2006 the part of the lava dome called Geger Boyo cracked and fell down, but Merapi still holds another four million cubic of lava at its new lava dome. At this point, it is still not known how many cubic of lava that had fall down at this morning eruption.

The camps in Dompol and Kemalang, Klaten where YEU is working and stand by are now fully re-occupied by the villagers who were returning to each village these days. We are still responding Merapi through health services, acupressure and psychosocial activity, after the eruption this morning the team is involving in evacuation activity with SAR and sweeping area in Desa Balerante Kecamatan Kemalang, Klaten.(admin)