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Mount Sinabung spews ash and hot lava as it erupts near a mosque in Karo district, Indonesia's north Sumatra province. The volcano had been dormant for nearly 100 years.
Indonesian authorities said 3,710 villagers in North Sumatra have been evacuated after a volcano erupted early Sunday.
Mount Sinabung, located in Karo Regency, spewed volcanic ash and small pebbles into the air, showering nearby villages, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
"The villagers voluntarily left their villages after the eruption," Mr.Nugroho said. He added there was no report of deaths nor serious damage.
He said local authorities, with the help of the armed forces and the police, have are helping the villagers who had to flee. Mount Sinabung last erupted in September 2010 after being dormant for around 100 years. Around 12,000 villagers were evacuated during the eruption three years ago.
"The characteristics of Mount Sinabung eruptions are relatively unknown because it was dormant for around 100 years before the 2010 eruptions," Mr. Nugroho noted.
Mount Sinabung's eruption is the latest in recent volcanic activity in Indonesia. Two volcanoes erupted in central Indonesia last month. Indonesia has many active volcanoes because its many islands are on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.
