Mount Barujari on Lombok island sent a column of ash 2,000 metres into the air.

Tourists hid from rescuers during a volcano eruption so they could take photos, Indonesia's disaster agency says.

Mount Barujari, located on Lombok island, east of Bali, spewed a massive column of ash 2000 metres into the air last Tuesday.

Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency said 1023 tourists, including 639 foreigners, were in Mount Rinjani National Park when the volcano erupted.

Shutterstock Mount Barujari is located inside Mount Rinjani, on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

As it scrambled to account for hikers as they flooded out through unofficial exits, some refused to descend the mountain.

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"The local disaster agency said that some tourists did not want to leave," disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told AFP.

"They wanted to record the eruption of Barujari and in some cases hid from officials.

"They knew it was dangerous but they still wanted to document the eruption."

A danger zone of three kilometres was established around the volcano's crater.

All hikers are believed to have eventually made it down the mountain, and there were no reports of injuries.

In September 2014, 57 tourists were killed when a volcano unexpectedly erupted in Japan.

AFP The explosive force of Mt Ontake erupting is caught on video.

Some survivors of the eruption of Mount Ontake made a split-second decision to hide behind big rocks or escaped into lodges that dot the mountain's slopes.

One moment, the hikers were enjoying the panoramic view at 3000 metres above sea level. Some of them were taking off their shoes and resting their feet after the morning climb.

Others were cooking ramen noodles on portable stoves. The next moment, they were scrambling for shelter and running for their lives.