Volcano in eastern Indonesia erupts; spews lava, hot ash

Volcano erupts in eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia — One of Indonesia’s most active volcanos erupted Friday, sending lava and a searing gas cloud tumbling down its slopes. At least four people were feared dead, officials said, and several others were seriously hurt.

“It happened so fast,” said Surono, the director of the volcanology and mitigation agency. “There was no time for an evacuation.”

Mount Karangetang, located on Siau, part of the Sulawesi island chain, burst just after midnight when heavy rains broke the volcano’s hot lava dome, spitting out 1,110 degree Fahrenheit (600 Celsius) clouds of gas.

Ash and lava crashed down the mountain’s western slope, destroying at least seven houses, said Priyadi Kardono, an official with the national disaster management agency.

Four people were missing and feared dead, he said, a figure that was expected to rise.

“We are having a hard time communicating with people in the danger zones,” Kardono said.

Authorities were trying to evacuate residents living in at least one nearby village, said Tony Supit, a disctict chief.

In all, about 22,000 people live on Siau island.

The last time the 5,853-foot (1,784-meter) mountain erupted was July 2006.

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.