A volcano erupted in Indonesia, sending ash to a height of 5,000 metres

An eruption was announced in the North Maluku province of Indonesia, of Mount Ibo volcano, spewing ash and dark clouds to a height of 5,000 meters for five minutes on Monday.

"The volcanic seismicity is still severe, so there is a possibility of an eruption in the future," said Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre.

Gunawan reported that more than 13,000 people live within a 5-kilometer radius of the northern side of the crater.

After Friday's eruption, the center raised the volcano's warning level from 2 to 3, the second highest level, expanding the radius of the area that must be evacuated.

Local authorities have prepared evacuation tents, but an evacuation order has not been announced yet.

Officials advised residents and tourists not to engage in any activities within 5 kilometers of Mount Ebo crater.

The volcano, which is 1,325 meters high, is located on the northwest coast of the remote island of Halmahera.

Indonesia, an archipelago with a population of 270 million, has 120 active volcanoes, and is vulnerable to volcanic activity because it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.