Volcano Death Toll Reaches 122

An eruption from Mt. Merapi in Indonesia spewed 1,400-degree gas further than authorities expected on Friday, bringing the death toll to 122 people. Soldiers and rescuers evacuated burn victims from the town of Bronggang, nine miles from the volcano crater. The Friday night eruption was six times as powerful as the initial blast on October 26, and authorities have extended the danger zone by three miles, to 12 miles from the crater. Mt. Merapi, which means “Fire Mountain,” has been erupting with increasing violence since October 26, confounding experts who expected the first blast would have eased the mountain’s pressure.