Second eruption since 2010 of Mount Sinabung sends clouds of ash into the sky and pelts nearby villages with rocks

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Nearly 6,000 people were evacuated from their villages following the eruption of Mount Sinabung in western Indonesia, an official said on Monday.

The 2,600-metre (8,530ft) volcano in North Sumatra province erupted early on Sunday after being dormant for three years, sending thick ash into the sky with small rocks pelting nearby villages, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

He said almost 6,000 people had been evacuated and were being sheltered in seven locations. No injuries or damage was reported.

Most of the displaced were from six villages within 3 kilometres of the mountain in Karo district, Nugroho said.

Local authorities prepared 2,000 blankets and distributed masks to displaced people. They had also set up a health command post, Nugroho said.

On Monday grey smoke still billowed from the peak of North Sumatra's tallest volcano, carrying ash eastwards. The authorities asked residents to remain alert for more potential eruptions.

Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for the transport ministry, said on Monday that the eruption had delayed six flights at Kualanamu airport in the provincial capital of Medan on Sunday, but operations had returned to normal.

Mount Sinabung's last eruption in August 2010 killed two people and forced some 30,000 people to flee. It caught many scientists off guard because they had failed to monitor the volcano, which had remained quiet for four centuries.

There are more than 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation. It is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called "ring of fire" – a series of faultlines stretching from the western hemisphere through Japan and south-east Asia.