Mount Sinabung on Indonesia's Sumatra island erupted on Monday, firing ash and other volcanic materials as high as 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky. It was the second eruption since Saturday, EDNews.net reports citing Deutsche Welle.
"The sound was like thunder, it lasted for less than 30 seconds," resident Rachrur Rozi Pasi told Reuters.
Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center said there were no reported fatalities or injuries from the eruption. But it did say that people should stay at least 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) away from the crater's mouth.
The civil aviation authority said flights were still operating in the region.
The agency said people in the area should cover their face to protect themselves from the ash fallout and be careful of potential lava flows. An official at the Mount Sinabung observation post said ash already covered several villages that were up to 20 kilometers from the crater.
"The situation around Mount Sinabung is very dark now," said Gilbert Sembiring, who was visiting a friend near the volcano when Monday's eruption occurred. "It was bigger than the eruption a couple of days ago."