Hundreds near erupting volcano evacuated in Indonesia

An Indonesian official said on May 17 that hundreds of people living near an erupting volcano in eastern Indonesia have been evacuated after authorities raised its alert status to the highest level.

Residents in seven villages near Ibu began evacuating to several shelters on May 16 after authorities raised the alert status, said local disaster mitigation agency official Muhammad Ade Fabanyo.

The preliminary data showed that about 400 people have been evacuated.

Ibu erupted again on May 17 morning, spewing a tower of volcanic ash about 4,000m above its peak, the country's geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement.

Authorities advised residents and tourists to stay out of the 4-to-7km exclusion zone and wear a face mask in case of falling ash. Ibu is one of Indonesia's most active volcanos, erupting more than 21,000 times last year./.

VNA