
Indonesia's most activevolcanoMount Merapi erupted Monday, belching a cloud ofashinto the air as red lava flowed down itscrater.
The early morning explosions spewed clouds as far as 3.5 kilometres (2 miles) from the rumblingvolcano, blanketing local communities in greyash.
There were no evacuation orders or reports of casualties.
Merapi, close toIndonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta on Java island, has been particularly active in recent months and authorities raised its danger level late last year.
Residents were told to avoid the area within a five-kilometre radius of the rumblingvolcano,Indonesia's geological agency said.
"Residents should avoid volcanicashand they've been warned about potential lava flows in the area surrounding Merapi," it added.
Mount Merapi's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of around 280,000 residents from surrounding areas.
That was its most powerful eruption since 1930, when around 1,300 people were killed, while another explosion in 1994 took about 60 lives.
The Southeast Asian archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
Indonesiaexperiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.