Fire catches forest on Mt Merapi's slope

Forest on the slope of Mount Merapi which straddles Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces caught fire on Sunday night.


Based on preliminary information the fire raged through the forest in Jurang Jero area, Soko hamlet, Ngargosoko village, Srumbung sub-district, Magelang district, Central Java, Head of the Magelang District Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD).Edy Susanto said.

The hotspot indicating the fire was first detected at 6:45 p.m. local time. However, the cause of the fire is still unknown, he said.

"At this moment my fellow volunteers are trying to reach the scene of the fire but to no avail due to difficult terrain," he said.

He said the BPBD has been coordinating with the Mount Merapi National Park (TNGM) to handle the fire.

Related news: 343 hectares of Mount Ciremai forest area gutted

Related news: Tesso Nilo's elephants show signs of stress due to forest fire