Volcano erupts in Indonesia

Mount Sinabung volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted Monday, sending columns of ash and smoke more than 5,000 meters into the air and hot clouds down its slops, Voanews reports.

There were no injuries or deaths from the morning eruption, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

No one lives inside the 7-kilometer danger zone around the volcano, but hundreds of houses outside it were covered in volcanic ash. Some 30,000 people from around the mount have been forced to relocate in the past few years.

Mount Sinabung was dormant for 400 years before it erupted in 2010, killing two people.

After a short period of inactivity, it exploded again in 2013 and since has remained highly active.

An eruption in 2014 left 16 people dead, and one in 2016 killed seven.

There are nearly 130 volcanoes in Indonesia due to the country’s geographic position on the so-called “Ring of Fire”.  Three volcanoes in Indonesia are currently active.