Bali, July 4 (IANS): Mount Agung in Indonesia's Bali island erupted on Wednesday, sending thick plumes of ash and smoke into the sky.

Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said the eruption had lasted under two minutes, with the plume rising 2,500 metres above the summit, reports Efe news.

Authorities have established a 4 km exclusion zone around the volcano.

Since June 28, the Centre has recorded increased volcanic activity from the mountain, which has erupted several times with different intensities since late last year.

Last week, the eruption of Agung led to the closure of three airports, including the one on the tourist island of Bali, affecting 446 flights and stranded more than 74,000 passengers.

The Indonesian archipelago is located on the so-called Ring of Fire in the Pacific, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity, that records thousands of mostly small to moderate tremors every year.