TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - There were 160 mountain hikers who were safely evacuated following the brief volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi this morning. “Everyone has descended safely,” said Boyolali Police chief Adj. Comr. Aries Andhi on Friday, May 11.
Aries explained there were eight out of the 160 people that sustained minor injuries caused by the evacuation process. “They have all received treatment from the medical team from the Boyolali disaster mitigation agency (BPBD),” said Aries.
According to a member of the monitoring team stationed at the Mount Merapi Jrakah monitoring post in Boyolali, Yulianto, the mountain’s phreatic eruption that happened at 07:40 was considered normal.
Read: Mount Merapi Erupts; Hiking Route via Selo Closed
“The eruption is temporary. Merapi’s activity will be back to normal again,” said Yulianto.
Yulianto further explained the phreatic eruption only happened once and lasted for five minutes and was not followed by another eruption nor aftershocks. He said there had been seven phreatic eruptions since 2010 on Mount Merapi triggered by the mountain’s shifting and changing characteristics.
Read: Adisucipto Airport Temporarily Closed on Mount Merapi`s Eruption
The changing characteristics, he said, was the new 400-meter diameter caldera that had its own smaller and non-active lava dome that caused the mountain to freely release accumulating gasses, such as this morning’s phreatic eruption.
A viral video footage this morning showed several hikers enjoying the morning on Mount Merapi when the mountain suddenly erupted.
DINDA LEO LISTY (CONTRIBUTOR)
