Thousands flee in Indonesia as volcano erupts

 Early on Sunday, a volcano in western Indonesia erupted hurling a column of ash into the air, then erupted again in the afternoon.

Police and troops began evacuating residents from villages in a 3km area around the volcano after the first eruption, said national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

 The volcano hurled red-hot ash and rocks up to 7km into the air and forcing more than 1000 people to flee their homes.

 Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island erupted in September for the first time in three years, forcing thousands to flee their homes, and has been erupting intermittently ever since.