Indonesia's Merapi spews out volcanic lava and ash, hundreds evacuate

Lava flows down from the crater of Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi, seen from the village of Plunyon in Sleman, outside Yogyakarta, early on March 10, 2022. - AFP

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia's Merapi volcano erupted overnight, sending hot lava and ash down its slopes and prompting over 250 residents in the surrounding area to evacuate, the country's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said on Thursday (March 10).

Merapi spewed hot clouds - a mixture of ash and volcanic materials - that flowed 5km (3.1 miles) down its slopes between near midnight (1700 GMT) and 2am local time Thursday, Indonesia's geological agency said on Twitter.