The major eruption was on 22 November 1994, at 10.15 hrs local time. A flow containing 220°C burst of gas, steam, and ashes killed more than 80 people. More than 1.3 million cubic yard of lava pour six kilometres down the mountainside along the river Boyong in Turgo village.

On March 19, 2006 some explosions are recorded which could announce a regain in the Merapi volcanic activity. The mountain was put on alert, but for the time being the eruptions are considered as small. The picture here above is the Merapi view on Sunday 20th, from the village of Cangkringan.

Residents get ready to run from volcano
April 20, 2006
With Mt. Merapi spewing ash overnight, residents of three districts close to the Central Java volcano prepared Wednesday morning to evacuate.
Nurjahid, a resident of Srumbung in the town of Magelang, one of the three districts along with Dukun and Sawangan, said residents were getting ready and increasing the frequency of patrols. "When we hear a gong repeatedly sound, we will run to safety," he said.

Many residents have moved their belongings and livestock to safer places.
Even though recovery was projected to take at least one week, activities in Trenggalek were returning to normal in stages. Many people have started flocking to traditional markets. Blackouts, however, are still common in the outer parts of the city. The supply of tap water is also still disrupted due to damaged pipelines.

However, a one-kilometer section of the Trenggalek-Ponorogo road which was swamped by piles of rocks, mud and other debris is now accessible after being cleared.

Meanwhile, Mt. Merapi observation post, which is located some 4.5 kilometers from the mountain's top, lured tourists -- mostly residents from Central Java cities -- who were keen to get a closer look at the volcano. "Our family has been staying here since Saturday night... we managed to see Merapi this morning," said Rubi'ah Fudah, 38, a Magelang resident.
The tourists have an additional attraction -- watching painter Agus Suyitno of Pucanganom village, Srumbung district in Magelang painting the mountain near the Babadan observation post.

(C) From the Jakarta Post April 2006

May 13th, 2006

Mt. MERAPI: RED ALERT is declared

After weeks of increasing activity the volcano is now in a more unstable situation, and significant eruption is possible. Volcanic ashes and smoke are now mixed with streams of lava which is flowing down on one side of the mountain. The lava is constantly flowing causing hot gases.
"This morning at 08:30 hrs we asked the Goverment to raise the status of Merapi to the top alert which is the red code," Subandrio, head of the Merapi section at the Centre for Volcanological Research and Technology Development said on Saturday.

Ucip Bahagia, head of one of the local crisis centers, said about 22,500 people will need to be evacuated. They will be taken to temporary shelters.

Photos from AFP

ERUPTION of Monday 15th of May 2006

Large Burst on June 8th, 2006

Now , the volcano has been venting steam and debris for more than a month, and on Thursday spit billowing gray clouds of hot ash 5 kms down its southern flank, the largest burst yet.

More than 15,000 people who had refused to heed evacuation orders fled, some jumping into rivers to escape the searing heat. Others sprinted down the mountain or drove to emergency shelters in towns below.

"I thought, this is it," said Udi Sutrisno with tears in his eyes as he sat with his wife and 10-year-old son in a field dotted with Red Cross tents, 10 miles from the mountain's base. "We ran as fast as we could."

The volcano appeared calmer Friday, though a local monitoring station tallied 63 lava bursts and nine small gas emissions. Ash continued to rain on villages, covering crops and rooftops in a thin layer of gray soot, the official Antara news agency reported.

Photo from AP

THE FIRST CASUALTY: TWO PEOPLE DISCOVERED DEAD

The eruption of Merapi is increasing in intensity and has claimed the first deaths: Two people were killed on Wednesday 14 June, 2006, by a particularly strong pyroclastic flow that reached the area, travelling almost 7 km from the summit. The two men managed to run into a shelter at the village of Kaliadem, east of Kinahrejo near Bebeng, on the SE flank of the volcano, but were trapped inside because flow covered the shelter with about 2 meters of hot deposits.

Photo AP

More Volcanoes