Indonesia volcano belches ash tower 2 km into the sky

Bukit Tinggi, Indonesia: A volcano in western Indonesia erupted on Thursday, spewing an ash cloud two kilometres into the sky as authorities warned re...

Bukit Tinggi, Indonesia: A volcano in western Indonesia erupted on Thursday, spewing an ash cloud two kilometres into the sky as authorities warned residents over potential dangers from cold lava flows.

Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province erupted at 1:04 pm (0604 GMT), spewing thick grey clouds of ash two kilometres (1.2 miles) above its peak, the national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, said in a statement.

The volcano -- one of Indonesia's most active -- has been at the second-highest alert level of the country's four-tiered system for weeks, with authorities advising people to stay outside a 4.5-kilometre exclusion zone around its crater.

Local residents are advised to be vigilant over threats of cold lava flows following the eruption, BNPB spokesman Abdul Muhari said.

"People are urged to stay away from river areas that originate from the Marapi volcano and be on alert to the potential dangers of lahar that could occur, particularly when it rains," he said.