By Amy Chew in Jakarta

INDONESIA has placed 79 active volcanoes on close watch following heightened volcanic activity as massive aftershocks continued to hit Sumatra island daily since the Dec 26 earthquake. Some scientists fear the seismic activity has the potential to trigger a major eruption while the government has urged the public to remain calm.

Indonesia has the world's largest number of active volcanoes with 129 and is part of the notorious Pacific "Ring of Fire" fault line which stretches from quake prone Japan, through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin.

"There are 79 volcanoes which need to be closely-watched and they are being monitored by all observation posts," vulcanologist Wimpy S. Cecep, told the New Straits Times.

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