(ETH) – The Ring of Fire has just been placed on alert after Mount Merapi, located on the main island of Java, has reportedly erupted sending an ash cloud over twenty thousand feet in the air. The volcano is located near the cities of Yogyakarta and Solo. According to reports from Express, The agency has warned residents living on Merapi’s slopes to stay away at least 1.8 miles from the dangerous crater mouth.
Volcanic Ash from the eruption has resulted in rain becoming thick and muddy in several villages and witnesses said the sound of the eruption was heard 18 miles away. One, resident of Boyolali regency, said:
“There was a thundering noise for at least five minutes and I could see the ash clouds from my house.” The agency did not raise the alert status of Merapi, which was already at the third-highest level due to its ongoing activity. The agency has also warned of a risk of further eruptions due to continuing movements of magma.
