Indonesia's Merapi volcano erupts, spewing hot ash

Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted on Saturday, spewing volcanic ash to several villages nearby, the country's Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) reported.

"The volcano erupted on Saturday at 12:12 midday local time," said head of BPPTKG Agus Budi Santoso in a written statement, adding that during the past week, the BPPTKG recorded the Merapi Mount had spewed hot lava 19 times and caused 553 volcanic earthquakes.

The authorities have urged people to avoid hazardous zone within a 7-km radius of the peak and to avoid rivers originating from Merapi, such as Krasak and Bebeng.

As one of Indonesia's most active volcanos, Mount Merapi is located at the border between Central Java province and the special region of Yogyakarta. The volcano has been on level 3 alert for the past months due to frequent eruptions. Level 3 means there is a possibility that a volcanic eruption which can seriously impact the surrounding areas could occur.

In 2010, the eruption of Mount Merapi killed more than 200 people and displaced many others.