Indonesia orders airport closure after volcanic eruption

The Indonesian government on Wednesday ordered the closure of Adi Soemarmo International Airport in central Java after Mount Merapi erupted ashes up to 6 kilometers into the air a day before, a local official said.

The eruption lasted about eight minutes, according to Indonesia's Geology and Volcanology Research Agency.

Authorities here also warned people to not venture within three-kilometers radius around the volcano.

The 2.930-metre mountain, located near the cities of Yogyakarta and Solo, is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Its eruptions in 2010 killed over 350 people.