Indonesia tsunami toll rises to 450

Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted on Thursday for the second time in a week, blasting vast plumes of ash into the sky, as the death toll from the initial eruption and a tsunami that hit remote western islands reached 450. There were no immediate reports of new casualties after Merapi's second eruption. More than 40,000 people had fled or been evacuated from Merapi's slopes earlier in the week, but many started to return after the volcano appeared to become calmer.

Mount Merapi volcano releases lava for the first time since its latest round of activity began earlier this week taken from Cangkringan, Sleman. The volcano that erupted on October 26 and killed 32 people earlier this week spewed ash and lava early on October 29, with government volcanologists saying the activity was not a fresh eruption and could help to stabilize the mountain following its series of deadly eruptions. Indonesia on Sunday ramped up efforts to help those on remote islands hit by a devastating tsunami as an official put the latest death toll at 450, with 96 missing and feared dead.