Victim of the Volcano

Photograph by Dwi Oblo, Reuters

Covered in ash from Mount Merapi, a man is wheeled into a hospital in Sleman, Indonesia, on October 26.
As of Tuesday afternoon, eastern time, the latest Mount Merapi eruptions were known to have killed 18 people, the Associated Press reported. Fast moving clouds of hot ash have been the biggest threats—and there could be much more to come.
Tuesday's eruptions could be a warning of a huge blast—or a sign that the volcano will slowly let off steam. "It's too early to know for sure," government volcanologist Gede Swantika told the AP. "But if it continues like this for a while, we are looking at a slow, long eruption."

Published October 26, 2010
nationalgeographic.com