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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Mount Sinabung is seen during an eruption from Naman Teran village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province. The authorities raised the alert status for the volcano to the highest level in November 2013.

The Mount Sinabung eruptions have been spitting clouds of gas and lava as high as 13,000 feet.

Nearly 27,000 people have fled their homes, following a series of eruptions from Mount Sinabung, a volcano in Indonesia's north Sumatra province.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Villagers run on ash during the eruption of Mount Sinabung volcano near Gamber village in Karo district, in Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

The volcano sent hot rock and ash up to 5,000 metres in the air several times, concerned agencies have said.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Youth look at Mount Sinabung spewing ash near Sigarang Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

The high column of ash damaged property and crops, and poised animals over a large radius, agencies said.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
A mother holds her son as they watch the eruption of Mount Sinabung at Berastepu village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

The volcano lay dormant over 400 years, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1600, but became active again in August 2010.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
A woman looks on as Mount Sinabung spews ash, as pictured from Sibintun village in Karo district, Indonesia's north Sumatra province.

Since September last year, it has been occasionally spewing massive clouds of gas and ash high into the atmosphere.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Chickens are seen in the midst of plants covered by ash from Mount Sinabung near Sigarang-Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

More than 3,700 people were evacuated from areas within a three-kilometre radius of the volcano, and five halls normally used for traditional cultural ceremonies were converted into shelters with at least 1,500 being temporarily housed.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Pyroclastic flow glows red during the eruption of Mount Sinabung near Sigarang Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

About 14,000 people were forced to evacuate when the volcano showed signs of activity in September.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Villagers travel on a truck to inspect the damage done to their homes during earlier Mount Sinabung eruptions, and to collect their belongings, at Kuta Gugung village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

In November last year, it erupted again, forcing hundreds of villagers to evacuate. The volcano spewed a 7 kilometre column of ash into the air, which prompted the authorities to impose a 3-kilometre radius evacuation.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
A man looks at Mount Sinabung spewing ash from Jraya village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

Sinabung is one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in the world's fourth-most populated country, which straddles the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
A villager riding a motorcycle covers his face with a plastic sheet to avoid ash from Mount Sinabung volcano at Tiga Pancur village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

By December 28, 2013, a lava dome formed on the summit. A lava dome is a roughly circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
Lightning strikes as Mount Sinabung volcano spews ash and hot lava, at Simpang Empat village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

The volcano erupted again on January 4this year. Debris from the 2,460 metre-high volcano travelled several kilometres from its crater.

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Dramatic photos of volcanic eruptions at Mount Sinabung, Indonesia

January 23, 2014 10:14 IST
A villager clears ash on the roof of his house with water during the eruption of Mount Sinabung at Kuta Rakyat village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

Thousands of hectares of farming land have been affected by the eruptions and more than 25,000 people have fled their homes and are being housed in temporary shelters, the National Disaster Management Agency said.