Residents flee volcano again

AN Indonesian volcano that had been quiet for four centuries shot a powerful new burst of hot ash more than 10,000 feet in the air yesterday, sending frightened residents fleeing to safety for the second time this week.

The tremor from the eruption – the strongest so far – could be felt 8km away.

The eruption of Mount Sinabung on Sunday and Monday – which caught many scientists off guard – forced 30,000 people living along its fertile slopes in North Sumatra province to evacuate to cramped emergency shelters in nearby towns.

Many had started returning to their mountainside homes as activity started to wane, saying they wanted to tend to their vegetable farms and rice fields and to reopen small businesses.

A new alert was issued several hours before yesterday’s blast.