Indonesia's Merapi volcano erupts, releasing lava 24 times

JAKARTA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Merapi volcano erupted on Thursday, releasing lava 24 times to the southwest throughout the day, said the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

Located on the border of the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Mount Merapi is now at the third dangerous level, said Mount Merapi monitoring post officer Yulianto on Thursday.

Authorities have recommended people not to stay within a radius of five km in the southwest and three km in the southeast sectors of the summit, to avoid volcanic ash and ejected material.

The danger zone includes rivers originating from Merapi, on which cold lava flows.