JAKARTA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- An ash rain fell around Mount Merapi on Wednesday afternoon, following the emission of heat clouds by the mountain for half an hour since 3:05 p.m..

    The clouds drifted southward over a distance of seven kilometers.

    Almost all areas on the slopes of the mountain were covered by the ashes which reduced visibility to only around one meter, Antara news agency reported.

    The volcano's status was raised again on Wednesday to the highest alert level following a resurgence in its activity. The status was just lowered to middle level on Tuesday.

    A geological expert at the Volcanological Technological Development and Research Agency, Dewi Sri, said the mountain spewed heat clouds incessantly on Wednesday.

    Panut, an officer at the Merapi Monitoring Post in Kaliurang, said the heat clouds floated southward towards the Gendol river. He feared it would cause panic among villagers in Kaliadem which is located only around 6.5 kilometers from the mountain's top.

    The 2,968-meter Merapi has erupted several times, of which the most deadly took place in 1930, killing 1,370 people. It also erupted in 1994, claiming the lives of at least 66 people. Enditem