Jakarta, May 21 (IANS): Ibu volcano in Indonesia's Halmahera Island erupted again, sending volcanic ash as high as 5,000 metre to its peak, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said.
The eruption occurred at 11:36 a.m. local time on Monday for more than two minutes, and the thick ash column leaned towards the southwest and west, said Ibu Volcano Observation Post Officer Ridwan Djalil on Monday as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
The center raised its hazardous status from level three to four, the highest, on May 16, following a significant increase in the mountain's recent activity.
Local people are asked to avoid the danger zone within a 4 km radius and 7 km in the northern sector of the crater.