Advertisement

Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano erupts, ejecting towering column of ash

  • The volcano on Sumatra island has been rumbling since 2010
  • 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’

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Mount Sinabung seen spewing volcanic smoke from Tiga Pancur Village in Karo, North Sumatra. Photo: EPA
Indonesia’s rumbling Mount Sinabung erupted Monday, spewing a massive column of ash and smoke 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) into the air and plunging towns into darkness.

The volcano on Sumatra island has been rumbling since 2010 and saw a deadly eruption in 2016. Activity had picked up in recent days, including a pair of smaller eruptions at the weekend.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths from Monday morning’s blast, but authorities warned of possible lava flows and more eruptions.

01:15

Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano erupts, dumping ash on surrounding villages

Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano erupts, dumping ash on surrounding villages

“This is an alert for all of us to avoid red-zone areas near Sinabung,” said Armen Putera, a local official with Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre.

However, the crater’s alert status remained at its second-highest level.

No one lives inside a previously announced no-go zone around the volcano.

When the ash came it went from being very bright to dark as night
Rencana Sitepu, Namanteran village head

Small communities nearby were coated in a layer of thick ash as at least one village went from day to night in a matter of minutes.

Advertisement