An earthquake that killed more than 70 people in western Indonesia may have led to heightened activity at three volcanoes, experts warned today.

Indonesian scientists today were closely monitoring three volcanoes that have rumbled into life – activity they link to last December’s monster earthquake off the coast of Sumatra Island and the countless other powerful tremors that followed.

Up to 25,000 villagers have been evacuated from the slopes of a rumbling volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island despite assurances by scientists today that the mountain was calming down.