Geography: Merapi

Mt Merapi

In Indonesia, many people live on volcanos where thousands of years of eruptions have fertilised the slopes, making the soil some of the richest in the country. Mt Merapi has been dormant for more than four years. Scientists who were monitoring the volcano put Merapi on its highest state of alert - one day later, on October 26, Merapi erupted. On 5 November Merapi unleashed 50 million cubic meters of  a surge of gas, rock and other debris - the largest explosion in a century. More than 300 people were killed. Since Merapi began its latest series of eruptions, more than 300,000 people have been driven from their homes, living in cramped evacuation centres at the foot of the volcano. When the eruptions start dying down, some villagers are tempted to return to their homes on Merapi to check on their animals and posssessions. Visit here for more information.