Indonesia Volcano Eruption Kills 28

The Mount Merapi Volcano in Sleman, on October 27, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia. One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes spewed out clouds of ash and jets of searing gas on Wednesday in an eruption that has killed at least 25 people and injured 14. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images )

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano erupted three times on Tuesday, emitting boulders, burning ash and toxic gasses. Twenty-eight deaths have been registered at the hospital, including a journalist, reports the Jakarta Post.

Ibu Neulis Zuliasri, from Indonesia’s National Disaster Agency, said the eruptions caused 28 injuries and forced 22,000 to flee their homes, according to CNN.

Indonesian vulcanologists had been monitoring Merapi’s activities and had started evacuations Monday, which doubtless limited loss of life.

Some scientists believe Merapi might be building pressure for a much larger eruption, but government volcanologist Gede Swantika told The Scotsman that there was some hope the eruptions had released enough pressure to forestall a major explosion.

The 9,700-foot Mount Merapi in Central Java is Indonesia’s most active volcano, with a history of lethal eruptions. An eruption coupled with an earthquake in 2006 killed 5,000 people. Mount Merapi means “Fire Mountain” in Indonesian.

Mount Merapi erupted just hours after a tsunami caused by an undersea quake swept of the northern Indonesian Mentawai islands, killing 133.