Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano re-erupts

By Nicky Aulia Widadio

JAKARTA (AA) - Sinabung volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra island erupted again Monday, said local authorities.

The volcanic activity started at 10.16 a.m. local time [0316GMT], an official from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazar Mitigation told Anadolu Agency.

“Ash column towered to 5 kilometers [3.1 miles] above the mountain peak or 7.4 kilometers [4.6 miles] above the sea level,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

It said the columns of thick ash in grey tended to move towards the east and southeast.

The authorities have issued a level-3 warning to monitor the volcano. The center also warned the residents and visitors to stay 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) away from the active crater.

Earlier last Saturday, the volcano erupted, spewing ash and smoke 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above its crater.

Sinabung volcano reactivated for the first time in four centuries in 2010. A total of 23 people were killed in 2014 and 2016 from eruptions.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language services in Jakarta.