Following an eruption of the Semeru volcano on the Indonesian island of Java, authorities have declared the highest alert level. The volcano, which spewed an ash cloud hundreds of meters high on Sunday, threatened nearby villages, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Management said. Residents within an eight kilometer radius of the crater were advised to leave the area.
In Japan, the eruption triggered a tsunami warning. It applies to the Miyako and Yaeyama island chains in Okinawa Prefecture, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.
Exactly one year ago, 34 people died when Semeru erupted. Several villages were then covered in mud and ash. Nearly 10,000 residents had to flee their homes.
Indonesia has around 130 active volcanoes. The Southeast Asian island state sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. There, several tectonic plates collide, so earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently.