An Indonesian volcano, closely monitored by alarmed authorities, has unleashed a new powerful plume of smoke and ash into the air. The status of Mount Sinabung, located close to a deadly ancient volcano, was recently raised to the highest alert level.
Indonesian authorities have recorded another powerful burst from Sinabung on Saturday. The latest eruption however caused no injuries as over 2,700 people living in the immediate danger zone had already been evacuated earlier this week.
On Saturday hot ash tumbled down the slopes of the 2,460-meter-high mountain as far as 3 km, Wendy Cahya, an official monitoring the eruption, told AP. So far, the authorities have recorded 11 releases of volcanic ash.
#Sinabung ERUPTION June 13 - 13:15 pm Taken from Payung Village by Nursheri Pandia @infobencana@chematierrapic.twitter.com/ajB2TQmT4w
— #Sinabung (@SinabungVolcan) June 13, 2015
Sinabung volcano in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, is located only 35 km from the Toba volcano whose super-eruption, according to scientists, put mankind on the brink of extinction almost 70,000 years ago.
READ MORE: Eruption near supervolcano? Mount Sinabung could rain down hell (VIDEO & PHOTOS)
Sinabung’s growing lava dome, “is very unstable,” volcanologists warned this week, urging locals to stay away from the mountain.
#Sinabung#PVMBG 13Juni2015 Detail Puncak dan Lava Lobe - terus bertumbuh @infobencana@chematierra@vulkanologi_mbgpic.twitter.com/EBqPH06IpM
— Leopold Kennedy Adam (@LeopoldAdam) June 13, 2015
Sinabung has been erupting from time to time since 2010, after more than 400 years of being dormant. In 2014, at least 17 people were killed by eruptions from Sinabung.
#Sinabun(g) by Rihard S Ginting 13 Juni - 14:01 pm masih menggeliat view Desa Surbakti @infobencana@chematierrapic.twitter.com/h8GJbo8XKk
— Leopold Kennedy Adam (@LeopoldAdam) June 13, 2015