Mount Ibu, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupted at 11:11a.m. (local time) and sent a thick column of dark smoke and ash above the peak.

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Mount Ibu, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupts at 11.11am (local time) on May 8.

The volcano spewed an ash tower 1.5 kilometers above the peak, Indonesia's volcanology agency said.

Based on the results of visual and instrumental monitoring, Mount Ibu's activity level has been raised from level 2 to level 3 of a four-tiered system, said PVMBG chief Hendra Gunawan.

Authorities formed an exclusion zone between three and five kilometers around the volcano's crater, and urged nearby residents to wear face masks and glasses when doing outdoor activities and to prepare for falling volcanic ash.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."

Source: VNA