MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) Indonesian authorities raised the alert status for one of the country's most active volcanoes to the highest level Sunday after the mountain repeatedly sent hot clouds of gas down its slope following a series of eruptions in recent days.
Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province unleashed fresh volcanic ash and gravel as high as 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and searing gas down its slope up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), said a government volcanologist, Surono, who like many Indonesians uses one name.
The 2,600-meter (8,530-foot) -high mountain has sporadically erupted since September after being dormant for three years.
"We are in a situation of high alert due to the danger of searing gas," Surono said, adding that authorities had urged people to stay at least 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from the crater.
About 12,300 evacuees from eight villages around the mountain were packed Sunday in crowded government camps away from the fiery crater, while more than 6,000 others fled earlier to temporary shelters in 16 safe locations, said National Disaster Mitigation spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.
