Indonesia's volcano spews ash, dozens evacuated

Dozens of people living on the slope of Mount Karangetan volcano in central Indonesia have been evacuated as the volcano has spewed ash out into the sky since Thursday, officials said on Friday.

"The quick response unit of the disaster agency in Sitaro district has evacuated at least 47 people from Winangun village after Mount Karangetan erupted," Agus Wibowo, spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency, told Xinhua news agency.

Karangetan volcano is located in the Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.

According to the spokesman, the evacuees have taken shelter in a church. Mount Karangetan's alert status is now at the second highest level, with no go-zone covering an area up to 4 kilometres from the crater, the volcanology agency said in a statement.

Volcanic ash was still shot into the sky on Friday.

Disaster agency officials urged villagers near the volcano to keep using mask to avoid the ash, said Agus.

The volcanology agency also warned people living along rivers near Mount Karangetan about possible lava and flash floods.

Karangetan volcano -- which is among the 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia -- has entered an eruption phase since November 25, 2018, according to volcanologists.