Local officials said the danger to residents of several villages on the slopes of Mount Merapi had subsided, but said they would continue to monitor the situation closely.

Mount Merapi last erupted in 1994 killing 60 people

There are still fears that a major eruption is possible.

Authorities said thousands of other people, living within an 8-kilometre (5-mile) radius of the peak, were on standby to leave if the situation worsened again.

After simmering for weeks Mount Merapi burst into life on Sunday, throwing out ash, lava and clouds of poisonous gas.

A large-scale evacuation was ordered by local disaster co-ordination authorities.

The local newspaper Kompas reported that more than 6,000 people fled, although government officials said the figure was closer to 3,000.

There were no reports of any casualties.

Country's most active volcano

• Mount Merapi is regarded as the most dangerous of Indonesia's 500 volcanoes.

• It sits in the middle of Central Java, one of the world's most densely populated regions.

• The volcano last erupted in 1994 killing more than 60 people.

• Its most destructive eruption this century killed 1,300 people in 1930.