Associated Press
A volcano in eastern Indonesia spewed ash and smoke about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) into the sky, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of nearby villagers, officials said today.
Magma coming into contact with water triggered the eruption of the 5,587-foot-high (1,700-meter-high) Mount Egon on the island of Flores, said Surono, a senior government vulcanologist who uses only one name.
About 600 residents were evacuated from the village closest to the volcano's crater early this morning after clouds of debris shot into the sky, Surono said.
He urged that masks be distributed immediately to protect people from breathing the ash.
Indonesia is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called Ring of Fire, a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
The country, which is comprised of about 17,000 islands, has nearly a hundred active volcanoes.
The island of Flores sits roughly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of the capital city of Jakarta.
