Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi erupts, blankets villages in ash

A woman carries grass to feed her cattle as she walks through volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Merapi in Dukun, Central Java, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The volcano is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia and has repeatedly erupted with lava and gas clouds recently. - AP

JAKARTA, Aug 16 (AFP): Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi erupted Monday, belching a cloud of ash into the air as red lava flowed down its crater.

The early morning explosions spewed clouds as far as 3.5 kilometres (2 miles) from the rumbling volcano, blanketing local communities in grey ash.