Scores of Indonesian villagers tried to return to their homes on the slopes of Mount Merapi 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".
Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano releases a huge cloud of hot gas this morning
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.
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.
Despite the warnings, villagers said they had no choice but to head home for a few hours to do their daily chores.
Government officials, along with army and police, evacuated more than 5,000 people living near the volcano to tents and shelters in safe areas following the new alert level.
Officials stayed awake overnight at the Kaliurang observation post to monitor Merapi's seismic activities. "There was no extraordinary activity at night. We noticed a lot of hot smoke coming out but in terms of tremors there was nothing much," said Panud, the chief of the observation post. He said lava flow had increased to two kilometres from the crater of Merapi, which rises above acres of palm and banana trees.
Merapi lies near the ancient city of Yogyakarta at the centre of densely populated Java island. It killed 70 people in a 1994 eruption and 1,300 in 1930. Officials said it was tough to stop people despite the alert.
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.