Mount Sinabung erupts in Sumatra, Indonesia

Source:Xinhua Published: 2014-9-24 18:17:20

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, one of most active volcanoes in Indonesia, erupted on Wednesday, spewing hot ash to 2 km to southeast, official in Jakarta said.

Powerful burst of hot ash and gravel erupted from the rumbling volcano in western Indonesia at 13:43 a.m. local time, but the height of the ash could not be seen as it was covered with cloud, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster management agency.

The eruption did not trigger evacuation, but all residents in three villages near the volcano are prepared for displacement, he told Xinhua by phone.

Mount Sinabung in Karo district last erupted on June 29 after erupting on and off from September 2013 to February 2014, which left 15 people dead and more than 30,000 other internally displaced.

Mount Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the "Pacific Ring of Fire."

The volcano rumbled back in September 2013 after being dormant for 400 years. The Indonesian Transport Ministry warned flight to stay away from the path near the volcano.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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