Indonesia lowered the alert status of the Mount Kelud volcano on Thursday, meaning that thousands of people who have fled its slopes for government shelters may return home.
Kelud on the densely populated island of Java has been on top alert for several weeks.
"The volcano no longer has the energy needed for an explosive eruption that would threaten the lives of people living nearby," chief volcanologist Surono said in explaining the decision to downgrade Kelud"s status. Surono uses a single name.
In 1990, Mount Kelud spewed searing fumes and lava that killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that reportedly could be heard hundreds of kilometers (miles) away killed at least 5,160.
Thousands of people from villagers close to Kelud"s crater lake have heeded evacuation orders and been staying at tent camps or government buildings, but many have ignored the warnings and remained in the danger zone. The government volcano agency said Kelud remained on the second highest alert level and told villagers to remain alert because the mountain was very unpredictable. It said that villagers could return home, but not to venture close to the crater which was still emitting smoke.
Indonesia is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called "Ring of Fire" — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
