A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Monday, sending a column of ash 1,500 metres above the peak and forcing nearby residents to wear masks and goggles, officials said.
Mount Ibu, located on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, spewed grey ash that was drifting north-eastwards, according to the Geological Agency of Indonesia. The eruption lasted for 96 seconds, the agency said.
The agency urged people living around the volcano and visitors to stay outside a 2-kilometre radius from the crater and a 3.5-kilometre zone in the north. It also advised people to protect their eyes, nose and mouth from ash if it rains.
Mount Ibu is one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a vast archipelago prone to seismic upheavals due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
