An Indonesian volcano erupted early Friday, sending out lava that burned plants, but there were no reports of casualties, an official said, day after the peak's alert level was raised to its highest level.
More than 2,500 villagers living within a 3.5-kilometre evacuation zone around Mount Lokon in the northern part of Sulawesi island left the area after authorities declared a red alert this week, said Farid Rustanda Bina, the head of the volcano's monitoring post, dpa reported.
"We have anticipated the eruption, so we are well-prepared," he said.
About 30,000 people live near the volcano, the local government said.
Mount Lokon erupted in 1991, killing a Swiss tourist.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It has 129 active volcanoes.