An Indonesian volcano, inactive for four centuries, erupted again on Monday, pitching ash two km (1.5 miles) into the air and sending nearby residents scurrying from their homes. Villages were emptying fast near Mount Sinabung on the north of Sumatra island, leaving behind only officials from the bureau of meteorology and the police. Short-haul flights skirting the volcano were delayed. Surono, head of Indonesia's vulcanology center, told Reuters Monday's eruption was more powerful than the first a day earlier. "Earlier today was another eruption at 6.30 a.m., sending out smoke as high as two km, more or less," he told Reuters.
An Indonesian volcano, inactive for four centuries, erupted again on Monday, pitching ash two km (1.5 miles) into the air and sending nearby residents scurrying from their homes.
Villages were emptying fast near Mount Sinabung on the north of Sumatra island, leaving behind only officials from the bureau of meteorology and the police. Short-haul flights skirting the volcano were delayed.
Surono, head of Indonesia's vulcanology center, told Reuters Monday's eruption was more powerful than the first a day earlier.
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"Earlier today was another eruption at 6.30 a.m., sending out smoke as high as two km, more or less," he told Reuters.
A Reuters photographer said he saw plumes of smoke rising from the 2,460-meter volcano after the second eruption. Inactive since 1600, it had been rumbling for several days.
"I saw some hot pieces of volcanic rock come out and burn trees in the area," he said. A smell of sulphur pervaded the air as residents moved out of their homes to temporary shelters.
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific Rim of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and geological fault lines triggering frequent earthquakes around the Pacific Basin. The eruption triggered the highest red volcano alert.
About 21,000 people had been evacuated from largely farming areas. Many fled to Medan, 50 km (30 miles), Indonesia's third-largest city, northeast of the volcano. Officials said much of the movement was unnecessary.
"People have been evacuated from areas within a six km (four-mile) radius of the volcano," vulcanologist Surono said. "Beyond six km it is safe, but there has still been a lot of panic among people here who don't understand that."
He said it was impossible to know when the eruptions would stop, but it was unlikely volcanic dust would drift to neighboring countries.
"Here, it is three millimeters (1/8 of an inch) thick on the leaves of plants," he said.
"It has the potential to damage people's respiratory tracts, but in my lifetime of studying volcanoes I have never heard of anyone dying from inhaling volcanic ash."
Photo shows Mount Sinabung volcano spewing smoke as seen from Bekerah village in the district of Tanah Karo in Indonesia's North Sumatra province August 30, 2010. The Indonesian volcano that erupted for the first time in centuries on Sunday spewed fresh plumes of smoke early on Monday morning, causing panic in nearby villages and delaying local flights, officials said on Monday. Photo credit REUTERS/Tarmizy Harva
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