ONE OF INDONESIA'S BIGGEST AND MOST ACTIVE VOLCANOES - MOUNT MERAPI IN CENTRAL JAVA - WHICH IS REPORTED TO HAVE KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND MADE 2,000 HOMELESS IN FOUR DAYS OF ERUPTION, CONTINUES TO SHOW DANGEROUS ACTIVITY. A HEAVY LAVA FLOW HIT SEVERAL HUNDRED ACRES (HECTARES) OF RICE-FIELDS, DAMAGED MANY HOUSES, AND CAUSED RIVERS TO BREAK THEIR BANKS.

ABOUT 3,000 PEOPLE FROM NGEMPLAK VILLAGE ON THE LOWER SLOPES OF THE VOLCANO ABANDONED THEIR HOMES AFTER MINOR VOLCANIC ACTIVITY STARTED ON TUESDAY (7 JANUARY). ASH AND COLD LAVA THEN POURED INTO STREAMS AROUND THE CRATER OF MERAPI, WHICH MEANS FIRE MOUNTAIN, AND CAUSED FLOODS WHICH RUINED CROPS OVER 400 HECTARES (ABOUT 1,000 ACRES).

THE CRATER, TOPPED BY A PLUME OF SMOKE TWO MILES (THREE KMS) HIGH, SHOWERED ASH OVER TOWNS WITHIN A RADIUS OF NINE MILES (14 KMS).

EXPLOSIONS, EARTH TREMORS AND MASSIVE BOLTS OF LIGHTING FOLLOWED BY TORRENTIAL RAIN WERE ALSO REPORTED IN THE AREA. ABOUT 180 HOURS WERE DAMAGED BY FLOODS IN THE NEARBY TOWN OF JOGJAKARTA.