THAT BLOWS

Volcano Spews Ash 11,000 Feet Into the Air in Giant Eruption

Local authorities distributed masks to residents on the island.

A volcano in Indonesia has erupted, shooting a column of black ash and smoke 11,482 feet into the sky above the island of Sumatra. No immediate reports of casualties, evacuations, or flight disruptions came from the region around Mount Sinabung. But residents, visitors, and tourists were advised to avoid activities in nearby villages in the Karo district of North Sumatra province, as well as areas within 3.7 miles of the summit. Roads, vehicles, and buildings in several affected villages were coated in gray ash, and local authorities distributed masks to residents. Officials raised the volcano’s alert level to “Watch,” the second-highest level for volcanic activity, and expanded the safe zone around the 8,530-foot mountain. “This eruption is considered an initial eruption, and it is possible that a larger eruption could occur,” Lana Saria, chief of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said in a statement. The agency had previously recorded increased activity at the volcano in mid-August, including dozens of earthquakes, prompting it to expand the recommended safety radius. Over the past few years, about 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes near the volcano because of volcanic activity. Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has more than 120 active volcanoes.