TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I ensured that Yogyakarta International Airport in Kulon Progo Regency of Yogyakarta was unaffected by the eruption of the Central Java volcano, Mount Merapi, today, March 11.

"Until now, it’s still safe to fly as the wind blows to the west,” said the general manager of Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), Agus Pandu Purnama, in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta. He added that there had been no report of flight delay due to the volcano eruption.

The international airport serves at least 80 flights; both domestic and international, a day.

Previously, the Head of the Yogyakarta Geological Disaster Technology Investigation and Development Center (BPPTKG), Agus Budi Santoso, on Saturday, March 11, announced in an official statement that Mount Merapi spewed hot clouds at 12:12.

Based on the agency’s observation on Saturday from 06:00 to 12:00, BPPTKG recorded that the volcano emitted an incandescent lava avalanche for once with a sliding distance of 1,500 to the southwest.

Therefore, the residents living within 7 kilometers radius of the peak of the volcano were asked to stay away. The eruption has caused several villages to be affected with volcanic ashes showering over the areas.

Meanwhile, the Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, was still safe to visit as the tourist area was not affected by the volcanic ashes caused by the Merapi volcano eruption, said the temple general manager, Jamaludin Mawardi.

"Alhamdulillah, the Borobudur Temple area today wasn’t affected by the volcanic ashes of Merapi so the visitors can still enjoy the beauty of Borobudur Temple," he said in Magelang, Saturday, March 11.

Jamaludin said that the visitors to the tourist destination this weekend reached around 3,500 people.

Antara | Bisnis | Agung Sedayu

Editor's Choice: Mount Merapi Spews Hot Cloud, People Asked to Stay Away from Radius of 7 KM

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