The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to possible travel disruptions within and around Indonesia due to the ongoing eruption of Mount Merapi.  Mount Merapi is located in central Java, 250 miles southeast of Jakarta and 330 miles west of Bali.  The eruption has already caused cancellations of some flights to/from Jakarta and at other Indonesian airports closer to Mount Merapi, including nearby Yogyakarta.  This travel alert expires on December 31, 2010.

We urge U.S. citizens in Indonesia or traveling through the region to make contingency plans, carry extra funds, purchase travel insurance, and closely monitor both the news and air carrier announcements.  U.S. citizens should stay away from Mount Merapi.  Volcanic ash has caused hundreds of deaths and injuries in villages surrounding Mt. Merapi, and the Government of Indonesia has established an exclusion zone around the volcano to prevent further casualties.  We remind Americans that emergency response capabilities in Indonesia are limited and U.S. citizens there need to be self reliant. 

The Department urges Americans living and traveling in Indonesia to register and update their contact information through the State Department’s travel registration website to facilitate the U.S. Mission’s contact in the event of an emergency.  All Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, Worldwide Cautions, and recent Messages to Americans are posted on the Embassy website.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).  The U.S. Embassy is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 4-5, Jakarta; the 24-hour telephone number is 62-21-3435-9000.  The telephone number of the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya is 62-31-295-6400; the number for the U.S. Consulate in Medan is 62-61-451-9000; and the number for the U.S. Consular Agency in Bali is 62-361-233-605.

For information on travel and security issues, U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's Country Specific Information on Indonesia as well as the Worldwide Caution found on the Department of State’s Consular Affairs website.