February 12, 2013 Eruption of Merapi

One of Indonesia's most dangerous volcanoes is posing a new threat, this time due to the tons of volcanic debris left over from a series of deadly eruptions in 2010. Heavy rains in recent days have mixed with tons of volcanic debris that spewed from central Java's Mount Merapi several years ago, creating huge mudflows along a number of the mountain's rivers. On Tuesday, one flow hit a group of sand miners on the banks of the Gendol River, killing one person, injuring another and sweeping away several trucks... "The danger on Merapi right now is only related to rain [mixing with] all the material that erupted in 2010," Agus Hendratno, a geologist and lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, told The Wall Street Journal on Friday. "An early warning system was developed for the threat of mudflows, but sand miners often pay little heed to the warning." Hundreds of laborers work along the mountain's rivers each day to gather sand for cement production. Many excavate by hand... The governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, warned people to stay away from Merapi's rivers after the death this week. "There's no more forest on the upper parts of the mountain," he told local media. "Mudflows and boulders can roll down like they're on a highway." (reference #10464)