Indonesian villagers defy volcano alert

Villagers watch hot lava flowing from the Mount Merapi volcano in Indonesia. Picture / Reuters

PURWOBINAGUN, Indonesia - Dozens of Indonesian villagers returned to their homes on the slopes of Mount Merapi briefly today despite an official order to evacuate over concerns the dangerous volcano could soon erupt.

Indonesia raised the alert status of Merapi to the highest level, also known as code red or danger status, yesterday, although experts say they cannot predict when it will erupt.

Thick clouds of charcoal grey smoke billowed periodically from the crater today, but there were no visible signs of hot lava flowing from Merapi, one of the most menacing volcanoes in the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

The desperately poor villagers left evacuation centres and packed into trucks a day after authorities ordered the compulsory evacuation of thousands of residents living near or along Merapi's fertile slopes.

"Of course, I am afraid. But it is my responsibility to get the milk and cut the grass," said Asmo, an elderly man in a batik shirt standing by a lorry near an evacuation centre in Purwobinagun village. "A responsibility cannot be abandoned."

Merapi, which means "Mountain of Fire", has been rumbling for weeks and glistening orange lava has flowed occasionally from its crater in recent days.

Experts say the top alert means that technically the mountain could erupt within 24 hours.

The chief of a volcano research centre in Yogyakarta said a lava dome had formed in the volcano's crater, but it was difficult to predict when it would collapse. The lava dome could also subside gradually.

"If the new lava dome collapses, it will bring a new catastrophe with the free flowing of lava and the pouring of hot ash and other little material," the chief of the Centre of Research, Development and Technology on Volcanoes, Ratmono Purbo, told reporters.

During a 1994 eruption of Merapi, most of the 70 casualties were caused by hot ash and other material following the collapse of a lava dome. The volcano killed 1,300 people in a 1930 eruption.

Despite the warnings, villagers said they had no choice but to head home for a few hours to do their daily chores.

"I've been here for two weeks, and at my home we have two cows and no one is protecting our home. So my husband has to stay back in the village," said Sunarmi, a 36-year-old mother of two in an evacuation camp.

"My husband already knew about the latest (status), but we agreed that it's not time to go down yet."

Authorities evacuated more than 5,000 people living near the volcano to shelters in safe areas after the new alert level.

An official at the Kaliurang observation said lava flow had increased to 2 km from the crater of Merapi, which rises above acres of palm and banana trees near the ancient city of Yogyakarta at the centre of densely populated Java island.

Officials said it was tough to stop people despite the alert.

"We are not giving any concessions. But we cannot be authoritarian. So we allowed some villagers to go home, but only for a brief time. They are only taking care of their belongings," said the chief of disaster prevention for Sleman regency.

"Those who are staying back have their own sense. Most of them are young men. And in case of an emergency they can go down quite quickly. Perhaps only 15 minutes on a motorbike."

Indonesia, which has the world's highest density of volcanoes, has been struggling to conduct mass evacuation as some villagers living on the slopes refused to be moved because they rely on natural signs rather official orders.

Residents say signals would include lightning around the mountain's peak or animals moving down its slopes.

Officials put the total number of residents on and near the mountain at around 14,000.

- REUTERS