Indonesian volcano unleashes river of lava in new eruption

Hot lava runs down the side of Mount Merapi (Trisnadi/AP)

Indonesia’s most active volcano erupted on Wednesday with a river of lava and searing gas clouds flowing 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) down its slopes.

It was the Mount Merapi’s longest lava flow since authorities raised the volatile volcano’s danger level in November, said Hanik Humaida, the head of Yogyakarta’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre.