Indonesian volcano erupts again

The Indonesian volcano that killed 33 people earlier this week erupted again Thursday but no new injuries or damage were reported, officials said.

The latest rumblings of Mount Merapi come as rescuers cope with a rising death toll from a tsunami in another part of the sprawling archipelago nation.

The Indonesian vulcanology agency said Merapi began erupting again at around 4:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, spewing hot clouds of ash.

Most residents have been evacuated from the area. It was unclear whether the new volcanic activity was a sign of another major blast to come.

Residents from the hardest-hit villages of Kinahrejo, Ngrangkah, and Kaliadem — which were decimated in Tuesday's blast — crammed into refugee camps. Officials brought surviving cows, buffalo and goats down the mountain so that villagers wouldn't try to go home to check on their livestock.

Also Thursday, thousands attended a mass burial for 26 of the victims about 10 kilometres from the mountain's base. They included family and friends, who wept and hugged one another as bodies were lowered into the grave in rows.

Among the dead was a revered elder who had refused to leave his ceremonial post as caretaker of the mountain's spirits. He was buried in a separate funeral Thursday.

There are more than 129 active volcanoes to watch in Indonesia, which is spread across 17,500 islands.