Advertisement

Indonesians flee erupting volcano

· El Salvador volcano erupts

More than 19,000 people have been displaced by a volcano in Indonesia that has been erupting for months and shot lava into the air nine times overnight, an official says.

Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra sent hot rocks and ash 7000 metres into the air on Monday night and Tuesday morning, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

“Mount Sinabung remains on the highest alert level and we have warned there should be no human activity within a five-kilometre radius of the crater,” Nugroho said.

“On Monday night, 19,126 people had fled their homes, and we expect that number to rise,” he said.

Police and soldiers were patrolling the danger zone to evacuate people who have chosen to stay in their homes, Nugroho said.Mount Sinabung – one of dozens of active volcanoes in Indonesia which straddles major tectonic fault lines, known as the Ring of Fire – erupted in September for the first time since 2010 and has been rumbling ever since.

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.