GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Soputan Volcano Erupts - Spew Column Of Hot Ash Up To 2.5km High! [VIDEO]

Mount Soputan has erupted 39 times in the last 600 years

February 8, 2016 - INDONESIA - Mount Soputan volcano in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia erupted several times on Sunday, spewing a column of hot ash by up to 2.5 km high, official of disaster management agency said.

Mount Soputan, located some 60 km from Manado, capital of the province, has high potential for further big eruption which is indicated by persistent tremors with amplitude of 41 mm, Spokesman of National Disaster Management Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho disclosed.

Several subdistricts in Minahasa Tenggara district were hit by rains of ash and volcanic materials that the local disaster agency distributes masks to protect local residents from the impact, he told Xinhua via phone.

The authorities have banned villagers or visitors from entering the area of 4 km from the crater, but at the southwest of the crater the evacuation zone is at 6. 5 km, Mr. Sutopo said.

The 1,874- meter high Mount Soputan is one of Indonesia's active volcanoes whose number is about 129, according to the National Volcanology Agency.


WATCH: Soputan volcano erupts.

- Xinhua.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts Again - Spewing Volcanic Ash Up To 1,500 Meters In The Air!

May 21, 2015 - INDONESIA - Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, erupted on Wednesday, spewing out volcanic ash that was blown by the wind toward the north.

“This is the second eruption after the one last September,” Antara news agency quoted Nelly, a resident of Kinilow in North Tomohon district, as saying on Wednesday.

Mt. Lokon monitoring post staff member Mahawu Ferry confirmed the volcanic eruption.


WATCH: Mount Lokon erupts.

“The eruption occurred at 3:20 p.m. and spewed out volcanic ash to a height of around 1,500 meters,” he said. - The Jakarta Post.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap - Iceland's Katla Volcano Is "Due For A Big Eruption"!

November 23, 2014 - ICELAND - A volcano sitting beneath Iceland's Mýrdalsjökull ice cap is due for a "big" eruption, Nasa has said. Satellite images showing Mýrdalsjökull reveal the ice cap has shrunk dramatically over the last 30 years, and experts believe this is a result of recent volcanic episodes.

The images, from Nasa's Earth Observatory, show before and after photos of the ice cap - the first from September 2014, the second from September 1986.

More than half of Iceland's ice caps and glaciers sit either directly above or near active volcanoes, meaning fire and ice often unite.

Mýrdalsjökull sits above the Katla volcano, on the country's southern tip. This volcano normally erupts about twice every 100 years, with the last being in 1918.

After and before shot shows how ice cap has changed.(Nasa Earth Observatory)

Image of Mýrdalsjökull Ice Cap from 1986(Nasa Earth Observatory)

The ice cap seen in September 2014.(Nasa Earth Observatory)

Scientists say this indicates the volcano is due to blow: "Katla has been 'due' for a while now," said Throstur Thorsteinsson of the University of Iceland. "There have been episodes of seismic activity, but still no big eruptions."

Researchers say there have been signs of small glacial outburst floods - indicating small volcanic events are taking place, "but nothing has been well confirmed," Thorsteinsson said.

The latest image from September shows the southwest-central part of the ice cap with dimple like features known as ice cauldrons, which are caused by geothermal heat from the volcano. Along the northern part, ablation has exposed brown bands of ash deposited by past eruptions.

"A few of the bands are likely from Hekla, a stratovolcano with relatively frequent eruption events," Nasa said in a statement. "Across the middle of the ice cap, the dark surface can likely be attributed to more recent volcanic episodes."

Researchers also said global warming has led to the ice cap to retreat, with a steady decline since the 1990s. - IBT.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: "Magma Level Inside The Conduit Rose Considerably" - Stunning Images Of The Eruption Of The Stromboli Volcano In Italy! [PHOTOS]

June 23, 2014 - ITALY - Towards the end of May 2014, activity at Stromboli volcano strongly increased as the magma level inside the conduit rose considerably. The following pictures were taken during two climbs to the volcano with official mountain guides on 9 and 10 June, as part of our recent tour to Stromboli and Etna.

3 simultaneous strombolian eruptions from the western NW and central vents. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Two large strombolian eruptions from the western and NE vents at the same time. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Small eruption from a vent at the base of the NW hornito (whose flame is visible behind). (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Part of our group having a great time watching the very frequent eruptions. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Eruption at NE crater (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Eruption from the NE vent on 10 June evening (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Liquid spatter ejected during a modest eruption from the NE vent. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Bright eruption from the NE vent. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Eruption from the NW hornito (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

- Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Kamchatka's Karymsky Volcano Spews Ash Up To Altitude Of 2 Kilometers - Ash Plume Spreads 40 Kilometers Southwest; Alert Level Raised; Tourists Warned Against Trips To The Area!

March 12, 2014 - KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA - One of the most active volcanoes on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, Karymsky, has spewed ash to an altitude of two kilometers above sea level, emergencies ministry’s regional department reports referring to data supplied by the Kamchatka Volcanic Response Team (KVERT).

ITAR-TASS/Igor Vainshtein

“An ash plume has spread 40 kilometers south-west of the volcano,” it reported, saying ash posed no threat for the local population. “The nearest settlement Koryaki is located 115 kilometers away,” the report said. Meanwhile, tourists have been warned against trips to the area. The volcano has been assigned the ’orange’ aviation color code, second after the highest — red code, warning about the hazard eruptions may pose to aircraft.

Karymsky is among the most active volcanoes on Kamchatka. Its height is 1,536 meters above sea level. The volcano is situated 30 kilometers from the Pacific coast and 125 kilometers north of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There are no settlements located close to the volcano. The giant has been active since January 1996. - ITAR-TASS.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: From 0 To ERUPTION In 60 Days - Study Of Mount Hood Reveals That Volcanoes Can Become Ready To Blow In Less Time Than Previously Thought, But Their Magma Is Usually Kept In A Cool, Near Solid-State!

February 19, 2014 - OREGON, UNITED STATES - For 100,000 years, a pod of cool magma has been sitting mostly immobile beneath the Mt. Hood volcano. Consider it cold storage.

As long as the magma stays cool, the volcano will not erupt. Cool magma is like peanut butter straight from the fridge — difficult to move.

But if the conditions are right, that magma can liquefy in just a few months, potentially leading to an eruption, according to new research.

Hot magma from deep in the Earth's crust bubbles up, mixes with the cool magma and causes it to liquefy. And when the cool, solid magma becomes less viscous and more runny, the volcano is in danger of exploding — sending red-hot lava out the volcano's top.

"Some people imagine that beneath a volcano is a bubbling vat of magma just ready to go at any time," said Adam Kent, a geologist at Oregon State University. "But we've found that the magma under Mt. Hood is in this mobile state maybe less than 1% of the total time it has been there."

In a new study in the journal Nature, Kent and his co-author, Kari Cooper of UC Davis, used radioactive dating to determine that the lava from Mt. Hood's last two eruptions — 220 years ago and 1,500 years ago — had been stored for up to 100,000 years beneath the volcano.

The scientists also analyzed crystals that formed in the lava to determine how hot the magma had been for most of that time.

"Crystals grow only at a certain temperature," said Kent. "If it is too hot, they dissolve, and if it is too cold, they don't grow."

The active Mt. Hood volcano in Oregon. (Alison M. Kolesczar)

From this method, the research team determined that for nearly all the time the pod of magma has been around, it has remained at or below 750 degrees Celsius (1,382 degrees Fahrenheit). So it is only when the magma gets warmer than this that Mt. Hood will erupt.

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, may help scientists predict future volcanic eruptions. Kent said researchers could conceivably use seismic waves to detect when the magma pod beneath Mt. Hood has liquid present. This wouldn't necessarily mean the volcano was going to erupt, however, but it would mean an eruption was possible.

Kent said the next step in this research is to learn more about cool magma pods beneath other, larger volcanoes.

"We'd like to move on to other systems that have bigger eruptions — Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines is a much bigger eruption to go look at," he said. - LA Times.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Turkey Warned Of Potential Eruption Hazards From 14 ACTIVE Volcanoes!

 December 07, 2013 - TURKEY - Turkey is facing potential eruption hazard from 14 active volcanoes.

Armenpress reports quoting the Turkish Haberler news website, that the population of the country has been warned about the danger by the Turkish volcano experts.

According to them, the data of only one volcano out of 14 active ones has been monitored and collected. - Armen Press.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts Again - Spewing Volcanic Material Up To 1,500 Meters In The Air; Explosion Heard 10 Kilometers Away; Status Remains At Level 3!

September 10, 2013 - INDONESIA - Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, erupted again at 6:30 a.m. local time on Monday, spewing volcanic material from the Tompaluan Lokon crater up to 1,500 meters in the air.

“The lava flow reached several northern area villages, namely Pineleng, Tanawangko and Tateli,” said National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Sutopo said the explosion was heard as far away as Minahasa, which is 10 kilometers away from the volcano.

Mt. Lokon has been erupting continuously for years, as such, for the local residents watching the volcano erupt is normal. Moreover, the volcanic materials have made the farming land in Tomohon fertile.

The status of the volcanic activity remains at Siaga or “alert” (level 3), Sutopo explained.

He said Mt. Lokon had erupted tens of times since the alert status was announced on July 24, 2011.

“The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center [PVMBG] has warned local residents and visitors to stay outside and to not go within a 2.5-kilometer radius of the Tompaluan crater,” said Sutopo.He added both BPBD Tomohon and North Sulawesi had developed and introduced contingency plans to mitigate the impacts of the eruption on local residents. - The Jakarta Post.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts With Loud Boom - Spewing Thick Ash Over 3 Neighbourhoods, Tomohon City On Highest Alert, Residents Warn Not To Go Within 2.5 Kilometres Of Crater!

March 27, 2013 - INDONESIA - Mount Lokon volcano in North Sulawesi has erupted spewing thick ash that has enveloped three neighbouring villages. A loud boom was heard on Monday, followed by lava shooting up to 2,000 metres into the air.

Cars, trees and buildings are blanketed in a thick layer of ash. Indonesian authorities have placed Tomohon City on the third highest alert level. Officials have not advised residents to leave the area so far but villagers have been warned not to go within 2.5 kilometres of the crater. 

Mount Lokon in Tomohon City, North Sulawesi, erupted at 5:10 a.m., local time, on Monday. A loud boom was heard and lava was shot 2,000 meters into the sky from the Tompaluan crater.

Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) North Sulawesi chapter head, Hoyke Makarawung, explained on Monday that the ash cloud reached to the south and south eastern parts of the city.

“Mount Lokon is still sending a plume of ash into the sky. Face mask distribution, coordinated by the BPBD Tomohon City, is underway,” said Hoyke as quoted by kompas.com.

Local residents in Tomohon City do not seem fazed by the situation and can be seen going about their daily activities. The BPBD, however, warned people to not go within a 2.5-kilometer radius of the Tompaluan crater.

Mount Lokon and Mount Mahawu observation post at the Bandung Geology Agency’s volcanology and geological disaster mitigation center (PVMBG) in Kakaskasen, Tomohon, maintained Mt. Lokon’s volcanic activity status at level 3 alert (siaga).

Mount Lokon has been erupting since July 2011. In that time its status was once raised to alert level 4 (awas).The last eruption was on Wednesday last week. - The Jakarta Post.

WATCH: Indonesia's Mount Lokon volcano spews ash.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mt. Lokon Volcano in Indonesia Spews Volcanic Ash 10,000 Feet High - 800th Eruption Since July!

December 17, 2012 - INDONESIA - Mount Lokon spews volcanic ash during an eruption in Tomohon in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province December 17, 2012.

 Indonesia's Mount Lokon, which has erupted 800 times since July, erupted to spew hot lava and volcanic ash as high as 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) in the north of Sulawesi island, a government official said on Monday. - Yahoo.

Mount Lokon spews volcanic ash during an eruption in Tomohon in Indonesia's
North Sulawesi province on December 17, 2012.

Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, erupted at around 12 p.m. local time on Monday following escalating volcanic activity.  "Ashes from the eruption rose to 3,000 meters. Local residents have been asked to take precautions," the chief of the Lokon and Mahawu monitoring station, Farid Ruskanda Bima, in Tomohon on Monday, as quoted by Antara news agency.  Mount Lokon has shown an increase in volcanic activity since early December. The Lokon and Mahawu monitoring station recorded eruptions on Dec. 3, Dec. 5 and Dec. 8, spouting volcanic dust up to 3,500 meters into the sky.  The volcano had also erupted several times in October and September. - Jakarta Post.

Mount Lokon erupted a little earlier today. People living near the volcano were surprised by a loud bang at 12:12 PM local time. The explosion was followed by hot ash-rich eruption clouds climbing to a height of 9000 fr or 3000 meters. The volcano is in “standby or Siaga” status (second highest alert) since many months as the feeder basis remains open to fuel new eruptions. Ni special precautions have been taken at the moment. Since longer time, there is a 2.5 km NO-GO zone around the crater. Tomohon a nearby village escaped merely to the ash fall today because of a favourable wind direction. The image below is the VAAC (Volcanic Ash Advisory) map as reported by VAAC for 13:30 UTC . Ash concentrations are alerted up to 10,000 ft. Air traffic is requested to respect the alerts given by VAAC. The volcano is active since a longer time, but eruptions like today’s are only happening now and then. - Earthquake Report.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: North Sulawesi's Mount Lokon Enters Second Day of Eruption!

December 08, 2012 - INDONESIA - Mount Lokon, near the North Sulawesi town of Tomohon, entered its second day of eruption on Friday, belching heaps of ash and smoke into the atmosphere.

“People are asked to remain alert and not conduct any activities within a 2.5 kilometer radius around the Tompuluan crater of Mount Lokon,” said Farid Bima, who heads the volcano monitoring outpost near the mountain.

Mount Lokon erupts as seen from Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, in July this year. More than
30,000 people live near the volcano, according to the local government. (EPA Photo).

The 1,579-meter-high volcano first erupted at around 5:18 p.m. on Thursday, sending a column of ash and smoke that reached some 3,500 meters high.

The ash fell mostly on the southeastern slope of the volcano.

Farid said that so far there had been no report of casualties or damages, and reiterated that the alert status of the mountain was still at “ready,” or two rungs above normal and one below full eruption.

Mount Lokon has demonstrated rising volcanic activities since mid-year, he added, and has been undergoing a series of small and large eruptions.

Tomohon Mayor Jemmy Eman announced on Friday a 2.5 kilometer-radius danger-zone and also prepared areas to shelter people if any evacuations needed to take place.

However, he said there was no need for people on the upper slopes of the mountain to be evacuated, since the eruptions so far were not deemed major threats.

“Therefore, there will not be any evacuations yet,” said Arnold Poli, the city secretary.

An eruption of Mount Lokon last month prompted the evacuation of some 5,000 people from its upper slopes.

Hoyke Makarawung, the head of the North Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Agency, said that his institution had already readied assistance should any evacuation take place in the areas affected by the discharge.

“We are continuously monitoring the condition [of the volcano],” he said. - Jakarta Globe.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mount Lokon Erupts - Spew Volcanic Ash Twice 1,200 Metres High!

November 21, 2012 - JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Mount Lokon in North Sulawesi, one of the most active volcano in Indonesia, erupted twice Wednesday morning.

The first eruption occurred at 9.51 am followed by the second one several minutes later, said Lokon and Mahawu Volcano Observation monitoring post chief Farid Ruskanda Bina.

The eruptions spew volcanic ash 1,200 metres into the air that sent shudders down the spine of Tomohon residents.

The volcanic ash drifted north from Mount Lokon.

The Tomohon local government asked residents to be on the alert and not to approach the crater in Tompaluan within a radius of 2.5 km. - Bernama.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mount Lokon Volcano Erupts, Spraying Volcanic Ash Across 2.5 Kilometer Area - Expert Says That the North Sulawesi Airport Should be Closed!

North Sulawesi's Sam Ratulangi Airport should be temporarily closed as the Mount Lokon volcano erupted again on Tuesday, Indonesia's top volcanologist said.

Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, is seen spurting ashes when it erupted in October last year.
The picture is taken from Manado, about 10 kilometers away from the volcano.

The volcano, located in Tomohon — about 10 kilometers south of Manado, erupted at 11:55 a.m. on Tuesday, spraying volcanic ash across an area 2.5 kilometers from Mount Lokon's Tompaluan crater. The eruption was bigger than last week's, said Surono, the head of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. “I cannot force Sam Ratulangi Airport to be closed, but I’ve recommended the closing,” Surono said.

He also urged the government to prepare alternative ways to connect Manado and Tomohon, stating that past eruptions had left the town isolated. Anyone living within 2.5 kilometer radius from the mountain’s crater should be evacuated Surono said. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency sent disaster aid, including dozens of relief tents and food packages to Tomohon. No casualties or injuries were reported following Tuesday's eruption, and it remains unclear how many people have been evacuated from the area around the volcano. - The Jakarta Globe.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia’s Mount Lokon Volcano Erupts Again - Evacuation Sites Being Prepared by Authorities!

Mount Lokon volcano in North Sulawesi erupted again at 11:55 a.m. local time on Tuesday. 

The latest eruption was larger in magnitude compared to the eruption last Wednesday but local residents were more prepared.  The eruption was preceded by a number of mild earthquakes over a span of two minutes.  National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said smoke plumes reached 2,500 meters in height when Mount Lokon erupted. 

According to geologists with the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), it is not time for residents to evacuate yet, but evacuation sites are being prepared just in case.  The BNPB has deployed a team to keep the situation in Mount Lokon under control. The agency has also prepared transport, Rp 400 million (US$43,600) in cash and other equipment.  Other emergency teams are on stand-by in Malang’s Abdul Rahman Saleh Airport with Hercules C-130 aircraft ready for evacuation. “Everything is ready,” Sutopo said. - The Jakarta Post.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Activities of Indonesia's Mount Lokon Increase - 1 to 3 Earthquakes Every Five Minutes!

Activities of Mount Lokon in Indonesia's North Sulawesi Province have been increasing after erupting on Tuesday, an official said in Jakarta on Thursday. 

"Based on a report by Head of Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation of Geological Agency Surono, the volcano could re-erupt if such activities increase," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of Data Center, Information and Public Relations at the National Agency of Disaster Management (BNPB) said in a statement.  Previously, he said it was reported that Mount Lokon has returned to normal phase after erupting on April 25 at 11:20 local time (0320 GMT) and its energy kept declining.

But since afternoon, its activities have been rising," said Nugroho.  He added that volcanic tremors have been recorded, followed by shallow and deep volcanic earthquakes.  "There are about 1-3 earthquakes every five minutes since 12:00- 17:00 local time (0500-1000 GMT). If these keeps occurring, this could be followed by eruption," said Nugroho.  The current danger status remains at level III and people were urged to stay away 2.5 kilometers from the crater. - China.org.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Residents Evacuated Over Eruption Fears at Mount Lokon - Alert Status Raised to Level 3!

Local residents around Mount Lokon in Tomohon, North Sulawesi, have been asked to evacuate the area, following the mountain’s steady increase of activity since 4 p.m. Monday.

"We are on alert status [Level 3]," National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Monday.  "We ask that local disaster mitigation agencies follow the technical recommendations we have given them. There should be no community activity within a 2.5 kilometer radius of the volcano’s crater.”  Mt Lokon is located on the outskirts of Tomohon. It is 1,580 meters high and is located 20 kilometers west from Manado, North Sulawesi. 

According to the Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), Mt Lokon last erupted on June 14, 2011, sending ash and debris 1,500 meters into the sky.  The following day, another eruption threw volcanic material 600 meters into the air. Two residents died as a result of the eruptions.  Other eruptions occurred in 1991 and 2001, with the earlier one causing Rp 1 billion (US$108,000) in damage, as well as the death of Swiss tourist Vivian Clavel.  The 2001 eruption covered Manado in ash and debris. The dust coming from the mountain formed a 400 meter plume. - The Jakarta Post.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts - Hurling Ash Cloud into the Sky!

Mount Lokon volcano in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, erupted again yesterday (Friday 11 Feb) at around 20h20 local time.

According to local news, the eruption produced a loud thumping noise and a 2 km tall ash eruption column, suggesting that this was a vulcanian-type, vent-clearing explosion.

The eruption followed an increase in earthquakes since the previous day recorded by the local observatory that monitors Mount Lokon and Mahawu volcanoes flanking the town of Tomohon, near Manado.

Residents from nearby villages such as Kinilow I, Kinilow, and Kakaskasen were reported to have fled their homes. Lokon is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes and erupts on average every few years. The last stronger eruptive phase occurred in July last year. - Volcano Discovery.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts - Hurling Ash Cloud into the Sky!

A restless volcano in northern Indonesia erupted Friday, spewing clouds of ash as high as 2 kilometers into the sky, the country's National Disaster Management Agency said.

The authorities are warning residents to stay away from the volcano, Mt. Lokon, in North Sulawesi, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the disaster management agency.

A 2.5 kilometer exclusion zone had already been set up around Mt. Lokon, which had been showing signs of activity in recent days.

A series of eruptions by Mt. Lokon in July prompted the evacuation of thousands of local residents. The volcano also erupted in October and December.

Indonesia is located on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. - CNN.

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Mount Lokon Volcano Erupts In Indonesia!

Mount Lokon volcano in central Indonesia has erupted, spewing hot smoke and ash thousands of feet into the air. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Mount Lokon, located on northern Sulawesi island, had been dormant for years before rumbling back to life several months ago. Surono, a government volcanologist who uses only one name, says it unleashed two strong eruptions at 5:19 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They were preceded by several smaller blasts hours earlier. Mount Lokon is one of about 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 240 million people. Its last major eruption in 1991 killed a Swiss hiker and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. - AP.

WATCH: Indonesians live off volcano's remnants.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts Violently!

A volcano has erupted on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.

Mount Lokon erupted on Thursday evening. Reports say the volcano spewed a plume of ash and smoke 1,500 meters into the air, accompanied by the sound of explosions. That was followed by at least 2 more major eruptions. Fires spread after lava set trees and grasses ablaze around the crater, although they have now reportedly been brought under control. About 6,000 residents near the volcano are taking shelter in schools and other places. There are no reports of injuries. But local disaster authorities warn of another possible eruption and have called on around 27,000 residents within 3.5 kilometers of the volcano to evacuate. Mount Lokon is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia. When it erupted 20 years ago, 1 Swiss hiker traveling in the area was killed. - NHK.

WATCH: Sulawesi islanders flee volcano eruption.

WATCH: Mount Lokon volcano erupts.

WATCH: Mount Lokon volcano erupts 1,500 meters.