The eruption of Mount Merapi on the island of Java, Indonesia

Officials said the ash from the eruption covered several villages and nearby towns.

Indonesia’s most unstable volcano erupted on the densely populated island of Java, spewing thick smoke and ash into the air, and spewing lava and gas streams along mountain slopes.

Mount Merapi released at least seven hot ash clouds on Sunday, as well as a series of fast-moving pyroclastic flows-a mixture of rocks, fragments, lava and gas-the head of volcanology and geology in Yogyakarta Nick Humeda said. Disaster Mitigation Center.

The rumbling sound can be heard from several kilometers away. There were no reports of casualties.

Humaida added that the mountain’s volcanic activity has increased in recent weeks, and its lava dome has grown rapidly and then partially collapsed on Sunday, causing rocks and ash to flow down the southwest side of the volcano.

She said the ash from the eruption covered several villages and nearby towns.

The last major eruption of Merapi was in 2010, killing about 350 people [Andreas Fitri Atmoko/ Antara foto via Reuters]

According to the Indonesian Institute of Geology and Volcanology, villagers living on the fertile slopes of Merapi are advised to stay 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) away from the crater and be aware of the dangers caused by lava.

Mount Merapi is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, and has recently erupted lava and gas clouds.

The last major eruption of Merapi was in 2010, killing about 350 people.

This 2,968m (9,737 ft) mountain is close to Yogyakarta, an ancient city with a population of hundreds of thousands, located in a large metropolitan area. The city is also the center of Javanese culture and the seat of royal dynasties for centuries.

The country’s geological agency said on its website that the latest eruption sprayed hot ash 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the sky, and the scorching gas cloud moved 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) down the slope several times.

The Volcano and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center did not raise Merapi’s alert status. Since the eruption began in November last year, Merapi has been at the second highest of the four levels.

Indonesia is an archipelago with a population of 270 million. Because it is located along the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean, which is a horseshoe-shaped seismic fault line surrounding the ocean, it is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.