Indonesia’s Mount Karangetang Erupts, Residents Flee

Mount Karangetang in Indonesia began spewing lava and hot clouds of ash Friday, forcing authorities to order the evacuations of at least two villages. Lava flowed more than 5,000 feet down Karangetang’s slopes over the weekend while clouds of ash were reported as high as 12,500 feet in the air.

At least one home, one church and several bridges have been damaged in the eruption. A government official reported 40 people were trapped Friday between two rivers of lava. It is unclear if they were able to escape.

Residents have been warned to stay at least 2.5 mile away from Mount Karangetang. Mount Karangetang is located on Siau Island and is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. Four people were killed when the volcano erupted in August 2010.

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