More than 25,000 people have fled their homes following a series of eruptions and lava flows from a volcano in Indonesia.
Hot lava has been spewing from Mount Sinabung for the past two weeks. Photo: AFP
The emergency authorities say Mount Sinabung, on the western island of Sumatra, sent hot rocks and ash up to 5000 metres in the air several times overnight.
Hot lava, which has been spewing from the volcano for the past two weeks, has flowed into a river and filled up valleys with volcanic fragments, National Disaster Mitigation Agency emergency response director Tri Budiarto told AFP.
"So far, 25,516 people have been evacuated. There's nobody now within a five-kilometre radius of the crater. We are urging those living within seven kilometres southeast of the crater to move, too," he added.
Mount Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia that straddle major tectonic fault lines, known as the Pacific Ring of Fire.
It had been quiet for about 400 years but rumbled back to life in 2010, and again in September 2013.
