Yogyakarta, 7 November 2010: More eruptions on clud-covered Mount Merapi continue to send thick ash clouds over areas west and southwest of the mountain. The residnet of the district of Megalang only 30km from the volcan are suffering from saw throats and stinging eyes ans their communities are enveloped by a fine rain of ash. Tree branches are breaking under the weight of ash and rivers are swollen with a mix of muddy water and debris. Further heavy raisn are expected to make matters worse.

At one of  Yogyakarta's main hosiptals 77 patients from Thursday's eruptions continue to receive treatment. 15 patietnts are said to be in a critical but stable condition of which eight are in the serious burns unit. Five children are among the critical patients. A small trickle of people arrived to check names of the injured patietns on a list posted at the main entrance of the hospital

Sunday morning, poeple gathered at the hospital's morgue as more than 50 bodies were handed over to local authorities for a mass funeral scheduled for this afternoon. In addition nine bodies were collected by relatives. Although traditionaly a body has to be buried within 24 hours, some of the victims were so badly burned that identification was very difficult.

Meanwhile, aid efforts by the local authorities, the military and NGOs continue. In the Magelang district alone, some 96,000 people are said to have fled to reception centers. The military is contructing another tent camp to house 5,000 people.

In total, official figures talk of some 200,000 people who have fled the violent eruptions of Indonesias "Mountain of Fire" (Merapi).

Video Credit: Mathias Eick EU/ECHO