JAKARTA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Mount Merapi, located on the border between the Indonesian province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, erupted twice on Tuesday morning, spewing smoke and ash.

The country's geological disaster institute BPPTKG in a written statement reported that the volcano spewed hot ash at 5.50 a.m. and 5.59 a.m. local time.

Authorities have told nearby residents to avoid the area within a seven-kilometer radius of the crater.

The status of Mount Merapi, the most active of Indonesia's 130 volcanoes, has stayed unchanged at its second highest level since November 2020.

In 2010, its major eruption killed over 300 people and displaced 20,000 residents.