Mount Merapi volcano activity increased again in the last few days, heat clouds and burning lava being released slowly but surely, and many volcanologists are of opinion that it is extremely close to a major eruption. The volcano's activity has never quite ceased ever since it provoked major evacuations a while ago, when it displayed signs that it would erupt.

On Wednesday, volcano experts have stated that the gas emissions suddenly dropped , yet the threat of an eruption still exists, so around 3,000 residents living on the south western slope, in Magelang district, were evacuated again, bringing the total number of locals evacuated this week to 11,000. An official who is responsible for evacuation efforts in the Magelang regency in Central Java, Edi Purwanto, stated that "They have heard ceaseless rumbling. They clearly know the impact of the earthquake in Yogyakarta".

To make matters worse, the government centre that monitors the activity of the volcano announced that a lava dome which formed years ago collapsed, enlarging the zone for more hot gas clouds to be released. Triyani from the Center of Vulcanological Research and Technology Department declared: "A lava dome collapsed on June 4th, broadening the routes of the hot gas cloud. While the height of the smoke is higher, the frequency of the hot gas clouds has gone down and its stretch is shorter".

Experts also fear that more lava domes could collapse; this may mean that the zone surrounding the areas where those lava domes were is greater, which in turn facilitates the outpouring of lava and gas emissions.