Boy T Harjanto

Mount Merapi, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, claimed 353 lives and forced 350,000 people to evacuate in a series of eruptions in 2010. The first eruption on Oct. 26, 2010 destroyed the small village of Kinahrejo in Cangkringan, Sleman, forcing residents within a radius of 10 kilometers of the volcano to leave.

On Nov. 5, Mount Merapi saw its biggest eruption since the 1870s, with a pyroclastic flow of hot gas and ash that flowed as far as 15 km through Gendol River.

Eight years after the eruptions, damaged bridges and dams have been restored. Residents have returned to their villages, although the area remains at risk of volcanic eruptions.

These images, showing the aftermath of the 2010 eruptions and the current conditions, highlight the determination of the people of Yogyakarta and Central Java to rebuild their lives and keep living next to the stunning yet feared Mount Merapi.