Indonesian Volcano Erupts Over 70 Times in One Day

Mount Sinabung placed under highest alert as thousands flee

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Roni Bintang / Reuters

A villager pours pesticide from a bucket as Mount Sinabung spews ash at Kebayaken village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province December 4, 2013.

Experts monitoring the active volcano Mount Sinabung, located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, said that it erupted 77 times in the space of 24 hours over the weekend. Entire villages were evacuated as clouds of heated gas spewed from the massif.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the volcano has been active since 2010 after lying dormant for centuries. It began erupting periodically since September, resulting in the displacement of nearly 60,000 villagers so far.

Saddled along tectonic fault lines, Indonesia is currently home to more than 120 active volcanoes.

[WSJ]