Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Mount Merapi, at the Java-Yogyakarta border, erupted 15 times on Thursday (2/5/2024), with lava flows extending up to 1.8 kilometers. 

Agus Budi Santoso, the Head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) in Yogyakarta, confirmed 15 lava flows towards Kali Bebeng, reaching a maximum of 1,800 meters. 

During observation from midnight to 6 am, Mount Merapi experienced 21 avalanche earthquakes and two multi-phase earthquakes, as reported by antaranews.com.

Morphological changes were noted in the southwest dome, while the central dome remained stable. Based on 30 March 2024 aerial photos, the southwest dome volume was 2,054,600 cubic meters, and the central dome was 2,358,200 cubic meters. 

BPPTKG maintains Merapi's Level III or alert status, advising against activities in the danger zone. 

Lava flows and pyroclastic flows could reach up to seven kilometers in the southwest and five kilometers in the southeast. Explosive eruptions could affect a radius of three kilometers from the peak, Agus said.

(mg/inp/pr/.nm)