Indonesia’s Mount Lokon volcano erupts twice

TOMOHON — A volatile volcano in central Indonesia has erupted again, spewing ash almost 2,000 feet (600 meters) into the air.

Monitoring official Farid Ruskanda says Mount Lokon on Sulawesi island erupted twice within a half-hour Monday afternoon.

Mount Lokon has been dormant for years but rumbled back to life late last week. On Sunday, it unleashed its most powerful eruption yet, spitting hot ash as high as 11,400 feet (3,474 meters).

Some 5,000 people near the mountain have been relocated to safer areas.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes because it sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped string of faults that lines the Pacific Ocean.