In Jakarta, Indonesia authorities have raised the alert level to high on Mount Karangetang Volcano. After a weekend of activity that forced many residents near the active volcano to flee for safety.

The 5,853-foot (1,784-meter) mountain on Siau, part of the Sulawesi island chain, spewed hot clouds of gas at least seven times Friday.

According to a report by CNN, 

Up to 1,200 people have fled an active volcano in northern Indonesia, disaster officials said Monday.

 

The evacuations were made from two villages near Mount Karangetang, on Siau Island, the country’s National Disaster Management Agency said.

 

Local and national officials estimated the number of evacuees at between 800 – 1,200 people, with damage reported to a home, a church and some bridges.

 

The nearly 6,000-foot (1,827-meter) volcano is one of Indonesia’s most active. An eruption in August killed four people.

Late last week, Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Management Agency raised the volcano’s alert status to its highest level, after noting increased activity on March 11.

 

Ash clouds from Mount Karangetang reached 7,500 feet (2,300 meters) over the weekend, with lava reported flowing down the mountainside

Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Photo Credit: Daniel Peckham via Flickr

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