An erupting volcano in Indonesia has spewed rivers of lava and sent a plume of ash 50,000ft into the air, as the authorities raised the alert to its highest level.

Hundreds of people living close to Mount Semeru in East Java have been evacuated to safety.

Several villages were blanketed with falling ash, blocking out the sun, but no casualties have been reported.

Residents have been warned not to go within five miles (8km) of Indonesia’s highest volcano and keep clear of the lava flow.

The 12,060ft peak, some 400 miles (640km) east of the capital Jakarta, erupted after monsoon rains eroded and finally collapsed the lava dome, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari.

It also follows a series of earthquakes on the west of the island, including one last month that killed more than 300 people.

Semeru’s last major eruption was in December last year, which left 51 people dead in villages that were buried in layers of mud.

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Several hundred others were injured with serious burns, and the eruption forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.

Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times in the last 200 years.

However, tens of thousands of people continue to live on its fertile slopes.

With 142 volcanoes, Indonesia has the largest population globally living close to a volcano, including 8.6 million people within six miles (10km).

The archipelago sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines, and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity.

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