Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 322
Mount Merapi volcano spews ash as seen from Kali Tengah village in Sleman, near Yogyakarta November 15, 2010. Mount Merapi volcano, on the outskirts of Yogyakarta city in central Java, began spewing searing hot gas and ash clouds more than two weeks ago, and has killed 194 people, disrupted flights and displaced more than 320,000 people. REUTERS/Sigit Pamungkas (INDONESIA - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT)
Image by: SIGIT PAMUNGKAS
Image by: SIGIT PAMUNGKAS
An official says Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano has killed 322 people since it began erupting late last month, and over 130,000 people are still living in makeshift camps.
"The Merapi death toll has reached 322 people. More than 130,000 people are still living in temporary shelters," disaster management official Agam Ferdatama said, updating the previous toll of 309 dead.
"Rescuers found many bodies in the incinerated area of Cangkringan," he said.
The government reduced the exclusion zone on Friday for the second time in a week because of the volcano's declining volatility, allowing more refugees to return to their homes.
Ferdatama said they had updated the number of refugees from more than 200,000 people.
Merapi killed around 1,300 people in 1930 but experts say November has seen its biggest convulsions since 1872.
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