Volcano Sinabung in western Indonesia has begun to erupt on April 12, creating a 3,000-metre pillar of dust and smoke.

A photo of volcano Sinabung. (Source: huffingtonpost.com)

The volcano, nearly 2,500 metres tall, has erupted in recent days, according to local disaster prevention agency.

Local authorities have banned people from travelling to area of seven kilometres from the crater’s radius.

Sinabung is one of 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which has continuously erupted since 2013.

At least 23 people were killed by the volcano’s eruption in 2014 and 2015. The following eruptions forced thousands of people to evacuate, causing huge losses to the local economy.

(Source: VNA)