REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA -- Mount Merapi, which straddles Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces, erupted twice within 30 minutes on Friday night. The first eruption occurred at 08.24 p.m. and the second at 09.00 p.m., the Geological Disaster Investigation and Technology Development Agency (BPPTKG) said on its official Twitter handle.

The first eruption with a maximum amplitude of 64 millimeters and an eruption column height of 2,500 metres from the peak lasted for one and a half minutes. The eruption moved northeasterly as seen from the Jrakah observatory post.

The second eruption with a maximum amplitude of 29 millimeters and an eruption column height of 1,000 metres from the peak lasted for 56 seconds as seen from the Babdan observatory post.

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"The public would hopefully be prepared for ash rain," the agency said.

Earlier, on Friday morning at 08.20 a.m. the volcano erupted for two minutes, with the eruption column reaching some 6,000 metres high. The Soemarmo Airport, Boyolali, Central Java Province, shut down all flight operations at 3:50 p.m. local time due to Mount Merapi's eruption on Friday morning.

"The airport is closed due to ash arising from Merapi that could endanger flight safety," Adi Soemarmo Airport officer Poniman remarked here on Friday.

Batik Air Airlines flight ID-7040 was destined to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport and had planned to depart at 4:40 p.m. local time. The aircraft was on the apron, but the flight was delayed due to the natural disaster.

Several Batik Air passengers were compelled to wait longer in the waiting room of Adi Soemarmo Airport until further announcement.

Similarly, dozens of passengers, including Antara's journalists, scheduled to travel aboard the Citilink airline flight QG-127 to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport that was expected to depart at 3:40 p.m. local time was also forced to delay the departure.

"We cannot tell how long the flight ban is applicable depending on the weather conditions," he added.

Meanwhile, dozens of passengers continue to arrive at the Adi Soemarmo Airport's waiting room owing to lack of information on the schedule of the flights.

Friday's eruptions came seven days after the volcano last erupted on May 24.

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