A raging volcano in Indonesia erupted Monday, sending a towering column of ash more than 3 miles into the air and raining down on nearby villages.
Mount Sinabung, located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, has been active since 2010 and has had a spike in activity in recent days, including a few minor eruptions over the weekend.
The Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center of Indonesia said there were no reports of deaths or injuries due to the eruption, but that lava flows were possible.
“People living in the area are advised to be alert to the potential appearance of lava,” the agency said.
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Residents in nearby villages were advised to stay at least 3.1 miles from the mouth of the crater.
Mount Sinabung plays volcanic materials in the air as it happens, in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday, August 10, 2020.
(AP Photo / Sugeng Nuryono)
An area around the volcano has been burning for years, but nearby communities were covered in thick ash on Monday after the volcano sent a column of volcanic ash up to 16,400 feet into the air.
Falling grit and as collected up to 2 inches in already abandoned villages on the slopes of the volcano, Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung surveillance post on Sumatra Island, told the Associated Press.
A car is driving on a road covered by volcano as from the eruption of Mount Sinabung, in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on Monday, August 10, 2020.
(AP Photo / Sugeng Nuryono)
In Berastagi, a town of tourist destination in the province of North Sumatra, about 12.4 miles from the crater, motorists shot headlights in broad daylight to see through the ash.
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The alarm status of the crater remained at the second-highest level, reported Agence France-Presse.
Indonesian men use their mobile phones to take pictures as Mount Sinabung spews volcanic material into the air as it happens, in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on Monday, August 10, 2020.
(AP Photo / Sugeng Nuryono)
The Ministry of Transport in Indonesia said air travel so far has not been affected by the ash.
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Some 30,000 people have been forced to leave houses around Sinabung in recent years.
The volcano, one of two currently erupting in Indonesia, was dormant for four centuries before exploding in 2010, killing two people.
Another eruption in 2014 killed 16 people, while seven died in a 2016 eruption.
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Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is envious of seismic conditions due to its location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines around the Pacific Basin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
