Indonesian volcano erupts, throwing up huge ash cloud

Villagers rest at a temporary shelter (Rokhmad/AP/PA)

The highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated island of Java has spewed thick columns of ash high into the sky, triggering panic among people living nearby.

Mount Semeru’s sudden eruption in Lumajang district in East Java province left several villages blanketed with falling ash, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.