Indonesia’s Mount Merapi unleashes lava as other volcanoes flare up, forcing thousands to evacuate

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted Sunday, spreading searing gas clouds and avalanches of lava down its slopes as other active volcanoes flared up across the country, forcing the evacuation of thousands. On the densely populated island of Java, Merapi unleashed clouds of hot ash and a mixture of rock, and lava that traveled … Read more

6.5 magnitude earthquake shakes part of Indonesia’s Papua region, no immediate reports of casualties

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A powerful earthquake shook Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua early Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.5 quake was centered 162 kilometers (101 miles) northeast of Abepura, a subdistrict in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province. It happened at … Read more

5.9 magnitude earthquake shakes Indonesia’s Aceh province. No casualties reported

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — A strong and shallow undersea earthquake shook part of Indonesia’s Aceh province Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.9 earthquake was centered 362 kilometers (225 miles) east of Sinabang, a coastal town in Aceh province at a depth … Read more

Ash from Indonesia’s Marapi volcano forces airport to close and stops flights

PADANG, Indonesia — Volcanic ash spewing from Indonesia’s Mount Marapi shut down airports and blanketed nearby communities on Sumatra island Friday. The nearly 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) volcano in the Agam district of West Sumatra province is about 113 kilometers (70 miles) north of Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, the provincial capital. On Dec. 3, Marapi shot … Read more

5 more boats packed with refugees approach Indonesia’s shores, air force says

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities detected at least five boats packed tight with refugees approaching shores of Aceh province, officials said Thursday. The boats are the latest in a surge of vessels that have arrived in Aceh, most carrying Rohingya refugees from southern Bangladesh, where the persecuted Muslim minority fled in 2017 following attacks … Read more

Over 300 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar arrive in Indonesia’s Aceh region after weeks at sea

ACEH BESAR, Indonesia — Two boats carrying more than 300 Rohingya Muslims, including emaciated women and children, arrived at Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh on Sunday morning after being adrift for weeks. One boat, which had been at sea for about one and a half months and carrying 135 passengers, arrived at a beach in … Read more

Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano erupts, 23 feared dead

Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave Search and rescue personnel combed Mount Marapi in Indonesia after a volcano erupted with dozens of hikers on its slopes. Five bodies have been recovered and an additional 18 are missing and expected to be found dead, authorities said on Tuesday. There were 75 hikers on the … Read more

Gravel gets funding from NEA to support Indonesia’s booming construction industry

Indonesia’s construction industry is growing quickly, driven by residential and industrial building, alongside infrastructure development plans by the government. Sourcing skilled labor is still a time-intensive process, however, and often relies on personal networks and lengthy recruitment efforts. The founders of Gravel want to change that by making it easier to find workers and other … Read more

1 dead, 11 missing after landslide and flash floods hit Indonesia’s Sumatra island

Rescuers have recovered the body of a man buried under tons of mud and rocks following flash floods and a landslide that crashed onto a hilly village on Indonesia’s Sumatra island ByThe Associated Press December 3, 2023, 8:54 AM Rescue workers use heavy machines to clear a road from rock and mud following a landslide … Read more

Coal power, traffic, waste burning a toxic smog cocktail in Indonesia’s Jakarta

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Against the backdrop of smokestacks from a nearby coal power plant, the sky above Edy Suryana’s village stays grey for months at a time, while ashes and the stench of smoke hang in the air. Suryana has spent more than three decades living in the shadow of the power plant in northern … Read more