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Malang, Cilacap and Semarang airports reopened Saturday on the Indonesian island of Java after being forced to close following the eruption of Mount Kelud.

Correspondents say air quality has improved across Java, but cities and villages are still covered in a layer of dust and ash.

Tens of thousands remain in shelters, facing medicine and blanket shortages.

Mount Kelud spewed ash and debris over a large area on Friday, killing three people.

The volcano had been rumbling for several weeks before it erupted.

Authorities said they were not expecting another major tremor, because the patterns showed volcanoes tended to quieten down after a large eruption.

Malang, Cilacap and Semarang airports reopened on Java after being forced to close following the eruption of Mount Kelud

Malang, Cilacap and Semarang airports reopened on Java after being forced to close following the eruption of Mount Kelud

The airports shut down because of low visibility. There were also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Some 75,000 people are estimated to have sought refuge in temporary shelters.

Officials raised an alert on Thursday about an hour before the volcano erupted.

They urged people living in 36 villages within 6 miles of the volcano to evacuate.

Officials said two people died when their homes caved in under the weight of gravel and ash.

The volcano last erupted in 1990, killing dozens of people. A powerful eruption in 1919 killed around 5,000 people.

Indonesia lies across a series of geological fault-lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java, with at least two people killed.

Mount Kelud spewed ash and debris over a large area, including the city of Surabaya, about 80 miles away.

Two people died after their houses collapsed under the weight of ash, officials said. Some towns were said to be covered by 1.6 in of ash.

Three major airports in Surabaya, Solo and Yogyakarta were forced to shut down because of low visibility.

There are also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java

Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java

Andi Wirson, general manager at the Yogyakarta airport, said: “The current conditions are that volcanic ash is now covering the runway, apron and tarmac. We have already measured the thickness of the volcanic ash, which is at 5 cm on the runway and tarmac.”

Indonesia’s disaster agency on Friday said that more than 100,000 people had evacuated to temporary shelters.

Many in Indonesia are quite used to volcanic eruptions, and are reluctant to leave their homes and belongings, correspondents say.

Officials said two people died after their homes, which appeared to have weak structures, could not withstand the weight of gravel and ash, and caved in.

Some of the evacuees tried to visit their houses on Friday morning to gather clothing and valuables, but were forced to turn back by the continuous stream of volcanic ash and rocks from the volcano, AFP news agency reported.

The 5,600 ft Mount Kelud – which had been rumbling for several weeks – erupted on Thursday evening.

However, the head of Indonesia’s Volcano and Geology Agency, Hendrasto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the eruption was gradually subsiding.

Experts say the volcano tends to quieten down after a large eruption, and more big eruptions are unlikely.

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