MOUNT SINABUNG, Indonesia (AP) – A rumbling volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra unleashed an avalanche of scorching gas clouds along the slopes on Thursday during an eruption. No casualties were reported.
Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province shot smoke and ash as high as 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the air and hot ash clouds blew 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) to the southeast, according to the Indonesian Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center.
There were no casualties in the eruption, said Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung checkpoint. He said villagers were advised to stay 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the mouth of the crater and be aware of the danger of lava.
A warning has been enforced at the second highest level, as authorities are keeping a close eye on the volcano after sensors have noticed increasing activity in recent weeks.
The 2600 meter high mountain has been rumbling since last year. It sent volcanic materials more than 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the air and deposited ash on nearby villages when it erupted early this month.
About 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes around Sinabung in recent years.
Sinabung lay dormant for four centuries before erupting in 2010, killing two people. Another eruption in 2014 killed 17 people, while seven died in a 2016 eruption.
The volcano, one of two currently erupting in Indonesia, has sporadically come to life ever since.
Sinabung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that encircle the Pacific basin.