More Sinabung eruptions possible

KARO, Indonesia－Indonesian officials warned on Monday that more eruptions from an active volcano on the island of Sumatra are possible after it emitted a huge column of ash, causing panic among residents.

Mount Sinabung, which has seen a spike in activity since 2010, erupted for around nine minutes on Sunday, sending clouds of volcanic ash 7 kilometers into the sky.

Although no casualties were reported, officials monitoring the volcano warned of possible fresh eruptions.

"After the eruption, from midnight until 6 am, there were a few aftershocks," said Willy, a scientist at a Sinabung observatory post, who uses one name, like many Indonesians.

Authorities left unchanged the alert level for Sinabung, but urged residents to use face masks and keep indoors to guard against volcanic ashfall.

Those living alongside the rivers upstream in the slope of the volcano were warned of cold lava floods during torrential rains, said spokesman for national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Mount Sinabung, which is 2,460 meters high, is among Indonesia's most active volcanoes, but it had been inactive for four centuries before its 2010 eruption. Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country.

Reuters/Xinhua