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Sleman, Central Java. The arrival of the rainy season has triggered the time bomb experts have long feared: volcanic mudflows comprised of millions of tons of ash and debris blanketing Merapi’s slopes after last year’s eruptions.
The impact is spreading this week. Mudflows are affecting not just residents of Sleman’s north and east, but those in the west as well as the Progo River threatens Kisik 1 village, which sits about 1.2 kilometers from its edge.
The river has experienced extreme shallowing due to the sedimentation of ash. Volcanic mud has repeatedly spilled over its banks and flooded residents’ homes, gardens and rice fields.