Mount Merapi’s 2010 eruption killed 353 people and forced mass evacuations around Java’s Yogyakarta region.
Merapi is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, rising near the boundary between Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Its name means “Mountain of Fire” in Javanese and Indonesian. The volcano frequently produces lava domes whose collapse can generate hot pyroclastic flows.
The 2010 eruption began in late October after authorities raised the alert level. Explosive activity intensified, and pyroclastic flows travelled down several valleys. More than 350,000 people were evacuated from danger zones, while ash disrupted transport and affected communities across the region.
Merapi is sometimes confused with Mount Semeru, Java’s highest mountain, or Mount Agung in Bali, both of which are also active Indonesian volcanoes. Merapi’s 2010 event is particularly notable for its high death toll and the large-scale evacuation it required.