Volcanic eruption in Indonesia, 6,000 people evacuated

Nearly 6,000 people had to leave their homes on Indonesia's Sumatra island, after a volcanic eruption erupted over the weekend, and put up a huge column of smoke on September 16.

AFP quoted local officials as saying that Sinabung volcano in Karo district in North Sumatra province erupted on the morning of September 15, with dust and hot ash covering the nearby villages.

"The number of people evacuated is 5,956 people," Indonesia National Disaster Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, adding that most evacuees are in the surrounding six villages about three kilometers from the volcano. .

Sinabung volcano sprayed ash into the sky - (Photo: AFP)

According to the head of the North Sumatra disaster agency Asren Nasution, evacuees are currently sheltering in churches, mosques or state agency offices.

AFP quoted Hendra Gunawan, a volcanic researcher said on September 16, the Sinabung volcano still erupts columns of ash but lower intensity a few days ago.

It is known that Sinabung volcano fell asleep for nearly 100 years before waking up strongly in August and September 2010, leaving 12,000 people evacuated.

According to AFP, the island of Indonesia is located on the "ring of fire" between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, where geological activities are intense with continuous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Currently the country has dozens of active volcanoes.

Last month, six people died and thousands evacuated when the volcano Rokatenda on the small island of Palue in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted.

The most active volcano in Indonesia, Merapi, located on the island of Java, had a major eruption that killed more than 350 people by the end of October 2010.