Mount Awu had shown signs of activity for days
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A volcano in northern Indonesia has erupted, throwing ash and debris thousands of metres into the air.
But the eruption of Mount Awu, on Sangihe island, caused no casualties since all residents had been evacuated.
It was the second volcano to erupt this week in Indonesia. Mount Bromo in Java erupted on Tuesday and killed two tourists who were hit by rocks.
Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country in Asia, and eruptions are common.
Mount Awu had been showing signs of erupting since last week, and more than 10,000 people living on its slopes had been evacuated.
Most are being looked after in the nearby town of
Tahuna, in government offices and other public buildings.
Vulcanologists predict the volcano will remain unstable.
Syamsul Rizal, a
vulcanologist dispatched to the island, told the AP news agency: "We cannot predict
when it will end since many smaller blasts and aftershocks
continue to occur".