Indonesian Govt orders evacuation near erupting Sumatran volcano

The National Disaster Management Agency ordered residents of 17 villages in Karo district in North Sumatra province, near erupting Mount Sinabung, to leave and seek refuge in shelters.

Mount Sinabung spews volcanic ash into the air as seen from Ujung, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Authorities raised the alert status for one of the country's most active volcanoes to the highest level on Sunday after the mountain repeatedly sent hot clouds of gas down its slope following a series of eruptions in recent days. Photo: AP

Indonesian authorities on Monday told residents near erupting Mount Sinabung to evacuate their homes as the Sumatran volcano continued to shoot hot gas into the air.

The National Disaster Management Agency ordered residents of 17 villages in Karo district in North Sumatra province to leave and seek refuge in shelters.

The volcanology office raised the alert to the highest level on Sunday after it erupted nine times over the weekend.

The eruptions forced thousands of people to flee their homes, raising the number of displaced people to more than 15,000.

On Monday, the volcano spewed gas and ash up to three kilometres into the sky, said agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho.

There have been no reports of fatalities since the volcano began its latest activity in September.

Mount Sinabung had been dormant for 400 years before it erupted in August 2010.

There are nearly 130 active volcanoes across the Indonesian archipelago.