Thousands flee Indonesia volcano on Sumatra

[malaise]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11123169
<snip>
Thousands of Indonesians have been forced to flee after a volcano erupted on the island of Sumatra.

Officials issued a red alert after Mount Sinabung began to spew lava shortly after midnight (1900 GMT).

Smoke and ash reportedly shot 1,500m into the air, and witnesses said they could see lava from the volcano from several miles away.

Mount Sinabung, some 60km (40 miles) south-west of Sumatra's main city Medan, has not erupted for 400 years.

[alfredo]

1. another video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jx_ZQ9848g&feature=player_embedded

[malaise]

2. Stunning video

Thanks.

Reminds me of Soufriere in Montserrat which also erupted out of the blue in 1995.
I still find the residue mind-blowing - it's like cement dust everywhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat

[alfredo]

3. I lived on top of an extinct volcano. The soil was full

of cinders. If you fell, you would come up bleeding. I was told that it is the largest inhabited volcano. We lived in the old caldera.