REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- Mount Sinabung in Karo District, North Sumatra Province, erupted on Thursday at 6:57 a.m., forcing more than 5,000 people living near the area to be evacuated to safer places.
A spokesman from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BMKG) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho revealed that the volcano had spewed a 7,000 meters-high cloud of ash into the air.
The hot cloud from the eruption had flown to the west and southwest of Sinabung, while the volcanic quake resulting from the eruption was taking place at an intense frequency.
The local government had earlier announced a state of emergency in the impacted area until November 16.
Mount Sinabung had last erupted on Nov. 3 and spewed hot clouds in the air. However, the number of evacuees at the time was only around 1,000, as the eruption was considered largely harmless for the people.