(ETH) – One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Merapi just experienced its most powerful eruption since 1930! The eruption reportedly took place on Thursday and was caught on video displaying a powerful and terrifying eruption showing the moment the crater exploded and launched lava and ash an estimated 2,000 meters into the air forcing local residents to stay outside of the designated no-go zone 3km (1.8 miles) from the crater.
In the video footage, Lava from the volcano can be witnessed running down the side of the crater before huge plumes of smoke and ash shot into the sky. According to the Merapi Volcano Observatory, the eruption lasted for 105 seconds, with the ash cloud seen for miles around. According to reports, this eruption was Merapi’s most powerful eruption since 1930 that resulted in 1,300 people killed.
The Express is reporting that this volcano’s last major eruption was 10 years ago and killed an estimated 350 people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes. The eruption triggered Hanik Humaida, the head of the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Centre to address the concerns of locals, in which he stated: “There has been an increase in Merapi’s volcanic activity from mid-December 2019 to mid-January this year, both under and on the ground” “Similar eruptions can still happen in the future as an indicator that the magma chamber is still supplying magma.”
