October 30, 2010 6:18 PM

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Indonesia: 135 people listed as missing found alive

In Indonesia, 135 people listed as missing in tsunami have been found alive on high ground on a remote island. The Pagai island was devastated by a tsunami five days ago. Officials said 163 people are still listed as missing. There has been no change in the death toll of 413.A three-metre tsunami triggered by a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake slammed in to North and South Pagai islands late Monday night. The islands are in the remote Mentawai chain off western Sumatra.A disaster management official said the missing people had been too scared of another tsunami to leave the forests and hills above their shattered homes.Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano again erupted violently early today, spreading panic and raining ash more than 12 kilometres away. People living near the volcano in Central Java province said the explosion at around 1:00 am was louder and stronger than the eruptions that killed 34 people on Tuesday. Soldiers and police posted nearest the volcano were seen fleeing along with hundreds of ordinary people, who quickly clogged roads with cars and motorcycles as black soot fell across a vast area. Witnesses said at least two people were taken to hospital with burn injuries. More than 50,000 people are living in cramped temporary shelters near the central Java city of Yogyakarta after being ordered to evacuate on Monday. The 2,914-metre Mount Merapi, which means “Mountain of Fire”, is the most active of the 69 volcanoes with histories of eruptions in Indonesia.

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