Chaotic evacuation after Indonesian volcano erupts again

HARGOBINANGUN, Indonesia, Oct 30 (AFP) - Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano erupted violently early Saturday, sparking chaos as people tried to scramble to safety, fearful of a repeat of this week’s deadly explosions.

The loud blast at around 1:00 am (1800 GMT Friday) sent soldiers and police posted near the volcano fleeing, along with hundreds of locals, who quickly clogged roads with cars and motorcycles.

No one was known to have died in the actual eruption on Saturday, but two people were killed during the chaotic evacuation, hospital staff said.

So far, 36 people have been confirmed dead as a direct result of the eruption of the volcano earlier this week.

“A total of 38 people have been killed because of burn injuries and accidents since the 26th. Two of them, an adult woman and a one year-old boy, died because of accidents,” Sardjito hospital spokesman Arif Novianto said.

Kris Budianto, 51, told AFP how he fell off his motorbike as he fled to safety.

“I was sleeping on the veranda when loud booms like thunder woke me up,” he said adding that he was guarding his village that night with 20 neighbours.

“I quickly took my motorbike and rushed down in panic to safety. But on the way down, I fell from my motorbike.” He has facial wounds and his right arm is broken.

Volcanic ash rained down on Yogyakarta airport, 26 kilometres (16 miles) away, shutting it for over an hour as workers cleared the runway.

“The runway of the airport was covered with volcanic ash. We had to close for about an hour as the ash could get inside aeroplane engines,” transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan said.

About 50,000 people have been evacuated from a 10-kilometre exclusion zone set up around the volcano.