KABANJAHE - An Indonesian volcano spewed a vast cloud of smoke and ash high into the air on Monday, disrupting flights and sending thousands more people into temporary shelters.
Airlines were warned to avoid remote Mount Sinabung in northern Sumatra as it erupted for a second day after springing to life for the first time in four centuries.
"It erupted again at 6:30 am (2330 GMT) and lasted about 15 minutes. The smoke and ash reached at least 2,000 metres (6,600 feet)," government volcanologist Agus Budianto said.
The eruption was bigger than Sunday's when the 2,460-metre Sinabung rumbled into action for the first time since 1600, adding its name to the list of 69 active volcanoes in the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago.
About 27,000 people are staying at the temporary shelters on Monday and 7,000 more are expected, Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
"We're expecting the number to rise to 34,000. That's the total number of people living within the six-kilometre (four mile) radius of the volcano. The rest are on their way," he added.
Authorities have ordered everyone within the six-kilometre "danger zone" to leave.
Twenty shelters have been set up to accommodate people who began to evacuate their villages as ash and stones fell around the fertile farming area early Sunday.
"They're all quite happy to stay at the shelters -- nobody thinks it's safe to go home yet," Kardono said.