Double eruption at Indonesia volcano: vulcanologist

An Indonesian volcano erupted twice on Monday following its biggest eruption in weeks over the weekend, a government vulcanologist said, forcing people to remain in safety shelters.

"The two eruptions happened within ten minutes which sent a column of ash and smoke up to 600 metres (1,968 feet) into the air," government vulcanologist Freddy Korompis told AFP from a monitoring post.

The 1,580-metre Mount Lokon experienced its biggest eruption on Sunday with huge clouds of ash propelled 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) into the sky.

More than 5,200 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters since the volcano erupted on Thursday and its alert status was placed on the highest level.

It last erupted in 1991, killing a Swiss tourist.

The Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the "Ring of Fire" between the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions last year.