Jakarta: A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing out ash as high as 4,000 meters (13,120 ft) and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people.
Nearly 3,000 people from nearly 30 villages were evacuated from the slopes of Mount Ili Lewotolok on Lembata island of East Nusa Tenggara province, as the volcano began erupting, said the Disaster Mitigation Agency. No casualties were reported from the eruption.
A flight warning had been issued after the eruption and a local airport had been closed as heaps of ash descended on the island.
The 5,423-meter (17,790-foot) mountain is one of three that are erupting in Indonesia after Merapi on Java and Sinabung on Sumatra, AP reported.
These are among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Ocean, AP added.
Mount Ili Lewotolok has been erupting off and on since October 2017. Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center raised the volcano’s alert level to the second-highest level on Sunday after sensors had picked up increasing activity.
After the eruption, the Disaster Mitigation Agency asked villagers to stay 4 kilometers from the crater.