Indonesian volcano prepares to erupt

Jakarta: Thousands of people in Indonesia are being evacuated as the Merapi volcano prepares to erupt, with the alert status being raised to its highest level.

Around 1,300 people have been moved away from Merapi, and officials fear the volcano could force a further 14,000 people in the Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces to evacuate the area.

Although lava and black smoke has started pouring out of the centre of Merapi, experts cannot say for sure exactly when the volcano will erupt.

Bambang Dwiyanto, head of the region's volcanology center, said, "Because there has been constant lava flows that cause hot gases, we have raised the status to the highest level."

Merapi last erupted in 1994, killing 60 people, and is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia.