VOLCANO ERUPTS IN INDONESIA - Huge Erruption at Mt Sinabung, Flights Can...

VOLCANO ERUPTS IN INDONESIA - Huge Erruption at Mt Sinabung, Flights Canceled, Day Turned Into Night Indonesia has raised flight around the Mount Sinabung volcano to their highest level after it sent a plume of ash more than 7km (4.4 miles) into the air, turning day into night for people nearby. Areas around the crater of the volcano, located about 1,900km north-west of the capital, Jakarta, on the island of Sumatra have been off-limits for several years because of frequent volcanic activity.  The Australian weather bureau’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VACC), in the northern city of Darwin, issued maps on Monday showing the ash cloud spreading north, north-west and south-south-east. Indonesia also upgraded its Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (Vona) to red, its highest , and said the ash-cloud top had reached 23,872 feet (7,276 metres). Nur Isnin Istianto, head of the regional airport authority, said Kutacane airport in Aceh province had been closed, but the wind direction allowed the airport of Kualanamu, Meulaboh and Silangit to remain open. Villages in the Karo region near the volcano were covered in layers of grey ash, which settled on trees and the tops of buildings, motorcycles and cars. Thousands have been displaced in the surrounding area, and continued seismic activity has kept the alert level at its highest point since June 2015. Last year, the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali forced the cancellation of several flights, grounding thousands of tourists and sparking an evacuation order for 100,000 residents.