Merapi volcano in Indonesia could continue erupting for months

The government of Indonesia warned on Tuesday its most active volcano could continue erupting for months as 50,000 remained in temporary shelters and airlines can celled flights over the disaster-hit nation.

Merapi Volcano "Indonesia"

The gray smoke shot high into the sky and rolled down the slopes of the 2,914-Metre Mount Merapi six times after dawn, spreading fear and panic as the government issued an alert telling airlines to avoid the skies over central Java. Almost 40 people have been killed since Merapi began erupting last week. The government vulcanologist Subandrio mentioned that volcano could continue for weeks, even months.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned to visit the shelters on Wednesday, his spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said.
 

Meanwhile the distribution of aid continued to Indonesia's Mentawai islands, where more than 400 people were killed by a tsunami last week, despite difficulty in reaching victims.