YOGYAKARTA

A powerful new eruption of Mt Merapi in Central Java on Friday killed 11 people, a local hospital said.

“Eleven people were killed in the eruption early today. Fifty others are being treated for burn injuries from the heat clouds,” said Banu Hermawan, a spokesman for Sarjito general hospital in Yogyakarta.

The volcano had claimed nearly 40 lives since it began erupting on Tuesday last week.

Around 50,000 people have been evacuated from the area and an exclusion zone has been widened over fears of continued massive eruptions.