Merapi

January 14, 1997 Eruption of Merapi

January 14, 1997 · VEI 2 · 6 deaths

Merapi in Indonesia erupted on January 14, 1997 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. The eruption killed 6 people.

Where it erupted

Merapi, Indonesia, with its other significant eruptions.

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The eruption

Date
January 14, 1997
Volcano
Merapi, stratovolcano
Country
Indonesia
Volcanic Explosivity Index
2, moderate (eruption column 1 to 5 km)
Location
7.540° S, 110.446° E

The toll

Deaths
6
Injuries
Few (about 1 to 50)

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Six persons missing, several injured. Witham lists 1-6 fatalities and a date of November 17. (reference #9675)

Other significant eruptions of Merapi

More

Every eruption in 1997The 1900sMerapiEarthquakes near MerapiThis day in weather history

Sources

Volcanoes and significant eruptions from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 6347.