A volcano erupted on the Western Indonesia island of Sumatra on Sunday for the first time in four centuries, sending smoke 1,500 meters (about 5,000 feet) into the air and prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents, officials said.
Mount Sinabung in the north of Sumatra began erupting around midnight after rumbling for several days and lava was overflowing its crater, Surono, head of Indonesia's vulcanology center, told Reuters. The volcano had been placed on red level, the highest alert.
Government volcanologist Surono, who uses only one name, said Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province started rumbling a few days ago and the minor morning eruption has mostly stopped.
It sent sand and ash up to 1.5 kilometers high but lava only moved near the crater. It caused no major damage "but only dust covered plants and trees," he said.
"Despite decreasing activities since the eruption, we haven't downgraded the status level," said Surono, who goes by one name, like many Indonesians.
"This is the first time since 1600 that Sinabung erupted and we have little knowledge in terms on its eruptive patterns and general forms" and are monitoring it closely for more activity.
Evacuations on the volcano's slopes started Friday at the first signs of activity. Up to 10,000 people who fled are staying in government buildings, houses of worship and other evacuation centers in two nearby towns.
Authorities evacuated at least 12,000 people from high risk areas on the slopes of the 2,460-meter volcano to temporary shelters. The area around the volcano is largely agricultural.
The Health Ministry put health posts on standby and distributed face masks, though there were no reports of casualties, according to Mudjiarto, head of the health ministry's crisis center.
The nearest big city to the volcano is Medan and there were no disruptions to flights.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is located on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
