Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupts, spewing ash clouds

JAKARTA - Indonesia's Ibu volcano erupted on the morning of May 13, spewing thick columns of grey ash several kilometres into the sky, the country's volcanology agency said.

Mount Ibu on the remote island of Halmahera erupted at 9.12am for about five minutes, projecting ash into the sky as high as 5km, officials said.

A smaller eruption was also recorded on May 10.

The alert status of the volcano remains at the second-highest level, Mr Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre, said in a statement.

All activities within a 5km radius of the volcano are prohibited, he added.

"If it starts to rain ash, we recommend people who are near the volcano to wear a mask and glasses," Mr Hendra said.

Footage of the eruption shared by the centre showed clouds of grey ash billowing from the crater. The official said a booming noise was also heard.

No evacuation of residents has been reported so far.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.

In recent weeks,

North Sulawesi's Ruang volcano has erupted

, spewing incandescent lava as lightning flashed from its crater.

The eruption prompted the authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people living on a nearby island.

In December,

more than 20 people were killed after Mount Marapi

, one of Sumatra's most active volcanoes, erupted and belched grey clouds of ash as high as 3km. REUTERS