Mount Sinabung spews volcanic ash as seen from Tiga Pancur, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 6, 2013. About 15,000 people have been evacuated from 17 villages on the slope of Mount Sinabung after authorities raised the alert status of the rumbling volcano to the highest level on Nov. 24. AP
KARO, Indonesia—Authorities say a volcano in western Indonesia that has been spewing lava and clouds of gas high into the sky has let out a new burst, triggering panic.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says nine new eruptions Tuesday sent lava and searing gas tumbling up to 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) down the slopes of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province, but no casualties were reported.
It started spitting gas and lava up to 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) in the air late Monday.
Nugroho says about 19,000 villagers have been evacuated from a danger zone 5 kilometers (3 miles) around the crater.
The 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) volcano has sporadically erupted since September. An eruption in 2010 caught scientists off guard because it had been quiet for four centuries.