Dramatic VIDEOS show volcano violently erupting in Indonesia’s Java as tourists FLEE

A volcano has erupted in West Java, the most populated Indonesian province, hurling a massive plume of ash and dust hundreds of feet into the air. The fearsome explosion was captured on film by shocked observers.

Tangkuban Perahu volcano, located some 19 miles (30km) north of West Java’s provincial capital of Bandung, erupted on Friday morning for the first time in nearly six years. The volcano is a popular tourist attraction where visitors can even eat boiled eggs cooked by the crater’s geothermal heat.

The eruption lasted about five minutes, according to a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Agus Wibowo. The agency announced a temporary closure of tourist locations nearby and the evacuation of the area as it evaluates the status of the volcano.

The blast did not cause any deaths or serious injuries, though several people were reportedly treated for breathing difficulties after the eruption.

Located on the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire – a region encompassing over 75 percent of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes – the Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes spread across more than 17,000 islands and islets, which at times pose a threat to residents on the more heavily populated islands, such as Bali and Java.

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