Remote Indonesia volcano erupts again after thousands evacuated

A remote Indonesian volcano sent a tower of ash spewing into the sky on April 19, after nearly half a dozen eruptions earlier in the week forced thousands to evacuate when molten rocks rained down on their villages.

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Mount Ruang in Indonesia's outermost region of North Sulawesi started erupting late on April 16, with a spectacular mix of fiery orange lava, a towering ash column and volcanic lightning seen.

Officials said on the morning of April 19 that Ruang had calmed, but it started to belch ash again hours later after the authorities maintained the highest alert level and told residents to stay out of a 6km exclusion zone.

"I was very surprised, the mountain erupted again. We are scared," said 30-year-old resident Riko, who lives on neighbouring Tagulandang island.

The country's volcanology agency said the eruption sent a plume of smoke 400m above the peak.

"There was an eruption of Mount Ruang, North Sulawesi," it said in a statement. "The ash column was observed to be grey in colour...

leaning towards the south." Hundreds of locals on neighbouring Tagulandang island were seen clearing their yards of volcanic material, with the help of soldiers and police officers, according to an AFP journalist.