YOGYAKARTA, 04 May 2006 - Mount Merapi, one of the most dangerous volcanos in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' in Java, has become increasingly critical following the appearace a new crater and increasing magma pressures on its top, Yoyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X said here on Thursday. "The new crater holds between 80,000 and 100,000 cubic meters of magma," the Sultan said on the sidelines of the anniversary celeberation of National Education Day, which was held here.

He said if the pressures continued to increase it would create either of two things, namely the magma would slide down to the south east side - if the crater is not strong to contain the magma - , or the crater - if it was strong enough -, would widen to the left side and would hold some four million cubic meters of magma which in turn could create new craters in the west side. Therefore, the governor called on vulcanologists to continue observing the volcano`s condition, and, if it was increasingly dangerous, to instruct the locals living in the slopes to relocate soon.

He said that there were 4,056 locals who lived some five to six kilomiters from Merapi`s slopes and about 20,000 others lived within the radius of 12 km from the slopes. On Thursday morning, Merapi spewed molten lava, with a flowing distance of around 200 meters from its peak at around 02.00 a.m., an officer from the Yogyakarta-based Volcanology Research and Technology Development Center said in Yogyakarta on Thursday.

At least 25 multiphase tremors and seven lava fallouts were recorded. Meanwhile, more magma is expected to escape from the beneath of the volcano. Earlier, on Wednesday, some 197 multiphase tremors, two tectonic earthquakes, a shallow volcanic earthquake and 29 fallouts were recorded.

The 2,965-m high volcano is on an alert status and a number of villagers living on the slope of the volcano have been evacuated to safer areas in anticipation of eruption. Residents of Sengi hamlet on the slope of Mt. Merapi on Wednesday asked to be evacuated as they had heard rumbling sounds coming from the volcano's top.

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