The Sinabung volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra today released a large amount of volcanic ash 5.000 meters high. No one was injured in the eruption, the country's Center for Volcanology and Geological Risk Mitigation said.

The thick layer of ash covered several villages within a radius of about 20 km from the volcano. The surrounding population was advised to stay five kilometers away from the crater and be careful not to spill lava.

Sinabung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It was inactive for four centuries, until the 2010 eruption that killed two people. The eruption then occurred in 2014, when 16 people lost their lives, and in 2016, when there were seven victims.

Some 30.000 people have been forced to flee their homes around the mountain in recent years.