Jakarta. Mount Merapi's crater spewed a column of ash into the sky on Friday (11/05), forcing authorities at Yogyakarta's Adisutjipto International Airport to impose a temporary suspension of activities, an official said.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) reported that Mt. Merapi's crater began spewing debris, at a height of 5,500 meters, at 07.40 a.m. local time.

All residents within 5 kilometers of the volcano have been forced to evacuate their homes.

"The impact of Mt. Merapi's eruption on Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta, has forced us to close the airport from 11.25 a.m. for another 30 minutes," said Israwadi, corporate secretary of state-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I, in a statement.

AirNav Indonesia issued a notification to airmen about the closure of the airport.

"An air transport stakeholders meeting […] decided to close Adisutjipto Airport because of volcanic ash," Yohanes Sirait, spokesman of AirNav Indonesia, said in the statement.

Further evaluation will be taken to renew the status of the airport, he added.

Other nearby airports in Semarang and Solo in Central Java are operating normally.