Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano sent a new blast of searing ash down its slope Sunday after a lull following Tuesday's deadly eruption, officials said.
The blast came after thousands of people who fled the area ahead of Tuesday's eruption came back to check on homes and animals, The Jakarta Post reported. Their fates were uncertain early Sunday.
CNN said the Vocanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency in Yogyakarta reported three events Sunday. It said the volcano's recent activities aren't unusual.
"As long as there are no people within the danger zone, there will be minimal impact," said R. Sukhyar, a geology official.
Tuesday's eruption killed 38 people and forced about 50,000 people to evacuate the area. It made for a deadly week as an earthquake and tsunami hit the remote islands and killed nearly 450 people and left hundreds missing, CNN said.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a series of fault lines in the earth's surface that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
UPI
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