Natural disasters continue to plague Indonesia, with the Mount Soputan volcano erupting on the island of Sulawesi just days after a devastating tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake, struck the island, killing hundreds.After months of increased seismic activity, the Soputan volcano finally blew off steam on Wednesday morning, sending an ash column as high as 4,000 meters into the air. Ash plumes are now moving in the west and northwest direction, with an alert level III issued for the active volcano.Communities residing within a 6.5 km radius of the summit are being advised to stay clear of the area due to potential threats of lava flow and dangers from the ash clouds. Locals who chose to stay in the vicinity of Soputan are being instructed to wear face masks to cover the nose and mouth, in order to avoid respiratory problems.So far there have been no reports of casualties or damage on the island, already heavily devastated by last Friday's quake and tsunami which claimed the lives of over 1,300 people.Eruption and ash emission are continuing while the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) has, meanwhile, been updated to the color code Orange by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.The National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB), still dealing with the deadly destructive consequences of nature's wrath last week, has confirmed that so far "there have been no reports of the impact of the Soputan eruption." While BNPB continues to monitor the situation, emergency crews were mobilized to provide respirators to the affected communities. Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado City continues to operate normally, local media report. </s> Indonesia’s Mount Soputan volcano on the quake-and tsunami-hit island of Sulawesi erupted Wednesday, spewing volcanic ash 4,000 metres into the air.

The state disaster agency warned people to stay at least four kilometres (two and a half miles) away but said there was no need to evacuate for the time being.

Images showed an eruption visible for miles around, with a cloud of ash climbing in a large vertical column with a mushroom-shaped top.

Soputan is around 1,000 kilometres from the town of Palu where a 7.5 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that lashed the coastline killing almost 1,400 people.

Indonesia is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a vast zone of geological instability where the collision of tectonic plates causes frequent quakes and major volcanic activity. </s> A volcano erupted Wednesday on Indonesia's Sulawesi island after it was hit by a tsunami and a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, killing more than 1,400 people.

Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi province spewed ash 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) into the sky Wednesday morning. No evacuations were immediately ordered.

A government volcanologist suspects the eruption was triggered by the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Central Sulawesi on Friday.

"It could be that this earthquake triggered the eruption, but the direct correlation has yet to be seen as there had been an increase in the Mount Soputan activity," the volcanologist, Kasbani, told online news portal Tempo.

Kasbani, who uses one name and leads the Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency, said volcanic activity had been increasing at Soputan since August and began surging Monday. "It is possible that the quake accelerates (the eruption)," he added.

Soputan's eruption status was raised from an alert to standby 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the summit and up to 6.5 kilometers to the west-southwest. Standby status means the public should avoid the area nearest the volcano and have masks available in the event of ashfall.

Planes were warned of the ash clouds because volcanic ash is hazardous for plane engines.

The earthquake in Central Sulawesi set off a tsunami and has devastated several communities.

The confirmed death toll rose to 1,407, the disaster mitigation agency said Wednesday.

More than 2,500 people were heavily injured in the 7.5-magnitude quake and deadly tsunami waves it triggered last Friday, the agency said.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes. </s> The Soputan volcano has erupted just days after a tsunami hit the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Volcanic ash can be seen up to 4,000 metres in the air. So far no casualties have been reported as a result of the eruption. Elsewhere the total death toll so far has reached nearly 1,400, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia — A volcano erupted Wednesday on the same central Indonesian island struck last week by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, and authorities warned planes about volcanic ash in the air.

Mount Soputan on Sulawesi island spewed a massive column of ash more than 6,000 metres into the sky. No evacuations were immediately ordered.

A government volcanologist said it’s possible the eruption was accelerated by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck on Friday.

“It could be that this earthquake triggered the eruption, but we have seen an increase in volcanic activity since July and this began surging on Monday. Yet we can’t say there a direct link, as the mountain is quite far away,” Kasbani, the head of Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on local television.

Kasbani, who uses one name, said planes have been warned to avoid the area.

Nazli Ismail, a geophysicist at the University of Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh on Sumatra island stressed there was no concrete evidence to show the two incidents are linked.

“People talk about the butterfly effect. The concept is that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause a catastrophe,” he said. “So it is possible for the earthquake to trigger the volcano eruption, but it’s not conclusive. This needs to be further investigated.”

Danny Hillman Natawidjaja, a geologist with Indonesia’s Institute of Science, echoed the views, saying there was not enough data to make a link.

“In principle, the seismic waves from the earthquake could increase pressure in the volcano’s magma chamber and could cause an eruption. We don’t know for sure,” he said. He cited the example of the eruption of Mount Talang volcano in Indonesia’s Sumatra province in April 2005, which geologists have said was connected to the devastating December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Ismail said the Soputan volcano eruption isn’t surprising as Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” and Soputan is one of the most active volcanoes on the island.

Soputan’s eruption status was raised from an alert to standby 4 kilometres from the summit and up to 6.5 kilometres to the west-southwest. Standby status means the public should avoid the area nearest the volcano and have masks available in the event of ash fall.

Planes were warned of the ash clouds because volcanic ash is hazardous for their engines.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho dismissed concerns that the volcano’s eruption could affect planes transporting aid and supplies to the quake disaster areas. The earthquake set off a tsunami and devastated several communities, with the official death toll rising Wednesday to 1,407 and expected to increase further. Thousands of others are injured and more than 70,000 have been displaced from their homes.

Nugroho said volcanic ash is not heading to the city of Palu, where most of the victims from the quake and tsunami are from, as the wind is blowing in another direction. He said it hasn’t disrupted plane services or affected any evacuations from the disaster areas.

Nugroho denounced videos that had appeared on social media allegedly showing villagers fleeing from billowing black smoke from the volcano and a long smouldering lava river as a hoax. He said so far no lava has spewed out from Soputan. No injuries or deaths have been reported and there is no need for any evacuation at the moment, he added.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 250 million people and government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes. </s> Mount Soputan has erupted on the disaster-struck Indonesian island where an earthquake and tsunami struck just days earlier, claiming the lives of at least 1,400 people. The volcano emitted a 6,000-metre column of ash at 8.47am local time (1.47am BST) on Wednesday morning and prompted authorities to raise the volcano’s status to Level 3 of the four-level national volcano alert system. Days before the eruption, Mount Soputan as showing signs of restlessness, according to volcanologists in the region. Soputan is one of the island’s most active volcanoes and the Smithsonian Institution has identified it is a complex volcano, with free-flowing, stream-like basaltic lava, but it can also produce explosive eruptions. Here are the latest updates (all times in BST which is six hours behind Indonesia).

An Indonesian government volcanologist has said he suspects Wednesday's eruption was caused by Friday's 7.5-magnitude earthquake. Those in the area have been put on standby alert, meaning they should avoid going toward the volcano and have face masks available in case of ash fall. The volcano last erupted in 2016, and is one of Sulawesi's most active volcanoes erupting some 39 times in the last 600 years.

11.54am update: Eruption comes days after deadly quake and tsunami The eruption comes less than a week after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the same island and triggered a major tsunami. The quake and tsunami has so far claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people and displaced more than 60,000 people in Central Sulawesi. Mount Soputan is located about 900km north-east of the area ravaged but the quake. Officials fear the death toll from the quake could rise and many areas remain largely cut off and people could be trapped under rubble. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Tuesday: “We hope the death toll does not rise. “We’re continuing rescue operations but right now the team is racing against time.” The quake brought down hotels, shopping malls and countless houses in Palu, while tsunami waves as high as six metres (20 feet) scoured its beachfront shortly afterwards. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian island devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami that has killed at least 1,400 people was was hit with another natural disaster early Wednesday: A volcanic eruption.

A government volcanologist said it's possible the eruption of Mount Soputan, on the island of Sulawesi, was accelerated by Friday's 7.5 magnitude temblor.

"It could be that this earthquake triggered the eruption, but the direct correlation has yet to be seen," Kasbani, the head of Indonesia's Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency, told online news portal Tempo.

Kasbani, who uses one name, said volcanic activity had been increasing at Soputan since August and began surging Monday. No evacuations were immediately ordered after Wednesday's eruption, which sent ash 19,700 feet — more 3.7 miles — into the sky.

Nazli Ismail, a geophysicist at University of Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh on Sumatra island, urged caution and stressed there was no concrete evidence to show they are linked.

"People talk about the butterfly effect. The concept is that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause a catastrophe," he said. "So it is possible for the earthquake to trigger the volcano eruption, but it's not conclusive."

Nazri said the Soputan volcano eruption isn't surprising as Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire," and Soputan is one of the most active volcanoes on the island.

Planes were warned of the ash clouds because volcanic ash is hazardous for their engines.

The earthquake in Central Sulawesi set off a tsunami and has devastated several communities.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 250 million people and government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes. </s> A volcano erupted Wednesday on the same central Indonesian island struck last week by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, and authorities warned planes about volcanic ash in the air.

Mount Soputan on Sulawesi island spewed a massive column of ash more than 6,000 metres into the sky. No evacuations were immediately ordered.

READ MORE: Death toll after Indonesia earthquake, tsunami soars to over 1,200

A government volcanologist said it’s possible the eruption was accelerated by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck on Friday.

“It could be that this earthquake triggered the eruption, but we have seen an increase in volcanic activity since July and this began surging on Monday. Yet we can’t say there a direct link, as the mountain is quite far away,” Kasbani, the head of Indonesia’s Vulcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation agency, said on local television.

Kasbani, who uses one name, said planes have been warned to avoid the area.

Nazli Ismail, a geophysicist at the University of Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh on Sumatra island stressed there was no concrete evidence to show the two incidents are linked.

“People talk about the butterfly effect. The concept is that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it can cause a catastrophe,” he said. “So it is possible for the earthquake to trigger the volcano eruption, but it’s not conclusive. This needs to be further investigated.”

Danny Hillman Natawidjaja, a geologist with Indonesia’s Institute of Science, echoed the views, saying there was not enough data to make a link.

“In principle, the seismic waves from the earthquake could increase pressure in the volcano’s magma chamber and could cause an eruption. We don’t know for sure,” he said. He cited the example of the eruption of Mount Talang volcano in Indonesia’s Sumatra province in April 2005, which geologists have said was connected to the devastating December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

WATCH: Death toll after Indonesia earthquake, tsunami soars to over 1,200

Ismail said the Soputan volcano eruption isn’t surprising as Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” and Soputan is one of the most active volcanoes on the island.

Soputan’s eruption status was raised from an alert to standby 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from the summit and up to 6.5 kilometres to the west-southwest. Standby status means the public should avoid the area nearest the volcano and have masks available in the event of ash fall.

Planes were warned of the ash clouds because volcanic ash is hazardous for their engines.

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho dismissed concerns that the volcano’s eruption could affect planes transporting aid and supplies to the quake disaster areas. The earthquake set off a tsunami and devastated several communities, with the official death toll rising Wednesday to 1,407 and expected to increase further. Thousands of others are injured and more than 70,000 have been displaced from their homes.

Nugroho said volcanic ash is not heading to the city of Palu, where most of the victims from the quake and tsunami are from, as the wind is blowing in another direction. He said it hasn’t disrupted plane services or affected any evacuations from the disaster areas.

Nugroho denounced videos that had appeared on social media allegedly showing villagers fleeing from billowing black smoke from the volcano and a long smouldering lava river as a hoax. He said so far no lava has spewed out from Soputan. No injuries or deaths have been reported and there is no need for any evacuation at the moment, he added.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 250 million people and government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes. </s> JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Rumbling Mount Sinabung on the Indonesian island of Sumatra shot billowing columns of ash more than 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the atmosphere and hot clouds down its slopes on Monday.

There were no fatalities or injuries from the morning eruption, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

The volcano, one of three currently erupting in Indonesia, was dormant for four centuries before exploding in 2010, killing two people. Another eruption in 2014 killed 16 people, while seven died in a 2016 eruption.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said hot ash clouds traveled as far as 4,900 meters southward.

The regional volcanic ash advisory center in Darwin, Australia, issued a "red notice" to airlines.

Some 30,000 people have been forced to leave homes around the mountain in the past few years.

Mount Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
The Soputan volcano on Sulawesi erupts, sending ash columns 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) into the air.