dunno if it'll blow later this morning... 
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/06/06/indonesia.volcano.ap/
MOUNT MERAPI, Indonesia (AP) -- Indonesian officials evacuated
11,000 villagers from around Mount Merapi volcano, as lava and
superheated clouds of gas poured repeatedly down its upper slopes,
officials said Tuesday.
The mountain's lava dome has swelled in recent weeks, raising fears
that it could suddenly collapse and send scalding clouds of
fast-moving gas and debris down into populated areas.
The government of nearby Magelang district mobilized more than 40
trucks and cars to evacuate about 11,000 villagers from three
sub-districts near the foot of the mountain, said Edy Susanto, a
district official.
He said the villagers were taken to temporary shelters, including
school buildings.
"Of course it is dangerous. But we don't know for sure whether the
lava dome will collapse," said Subandriyo, a government
volcanologist who uses only one name.
Red-hot lava flowed as far as one kilometer (half a mile) from the
mountain's crater, while gas clouds called pyroclastic flows
streamed as far as 2-1/2 kilometers (1-1/2 miles) down its
southwestern slope, Subandriyo said.
The 3,000-meter (9,800-foot) mountain is one of the world's most
active volcanos.
Activity has risen since a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on May 27 hit a
region about 30 kilometers (20 miles) to the south, killing at
least 5,862 people.
Some scientists say the quake may have contributed to the increased
activity at the mountain.
A major eruption could severely strain quake relief efforts.
The government had earlier urged residents to evacuate from a
danger zone on the mountain's fertile slopes, but thousands of
villagers remained in their homes, saying they didn't want to
abandon their fields and livestock and complaining of boredom at
the shelters.
The mountain, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital,
Jakarta, is notoriously unpredictable. Government scientists say
they're not sure whether the lava dome will suddenly collapse,
simply keep growing, or gradually break into small pieces.
Its last deadly eruption was in 1994, when it sent out a searing
gas cloud that burned 60 people to death.
About 1,300 people were killed when it erupted in 1930.
Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an
arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. It
has 76 volcanoes, the largest number in the world.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
