Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano sends hot ash 5 kms high

JAKARTA: Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano sent a cloud of hot ash as high as five kilometers (3.1 miles) on Tuesday (March 2), in its first big eruption since August last year, the country's volcanology center said. No casualties were reported.

Mount Sinabung's activity has increased since last year and the alert for the volcano in North Sumatra province has been placed at the second-highest level.

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An official had earlier urged people to stay at least 3 km from the crater, Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre said.

Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country in the world. Sinabung had been inactive for centuries before it erupted again in 2010.