Indonesia's Mount Merapi spews 1,000-metre high ash columns

A screen grab from Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency Twitter feed showing the eruption.

JAKARTA (DPA): Indonesia's volatile Mount Merapi volcano erupted on Sunday (Nov 17) morning, spewing ash columns up to 1000m into the sky, an official says.

The volcano's eruption occurred at 10:46 am (0346 GMT) Sunday and lasted for 155 seconds, Agus Wibowo, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement.

The ash cloud from the eruption was blown west, sprinkling a thin layer of ash on some parts of the village of Banyubiru Dukun, located on the side of the mountain, Wibowo said.

"The area within a 3km radius from the crater remains an exclusion zone. Residents are advised to remain cautious for risks of volcanic ash, hot clouds and explosive eruption," Wibowo said.

Mount Merapi's last deadly eruption was in October 2016, when more than 340 people were killed and over 60,000 more were displaced. I

It is one of the roughly 127 active volcanoes that dot the Indonesian archipelago. - DPA

pic.twitter.com/uIa6HAZhBo — BNPB Indonesia (@BNPB_Indonesia) November 17, 2019