volcano

Several international airlines including Malaysia Airlines and Airasia have cancelled flights to and from Indonesia's Bali, following new eruptions from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki.

The number of those stranded, the majority of whom are tourists, is expected to increase following the cancellation of flights.

Further eruptions of the volcano spewing ash clouds as high as 10 km, forces thousands to evacuate.

The eruption has generated extensive ash clouds, leading to airport closures in the affected areas.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts eight times, spewing a plume of volcanic ash up to 8,000 m high.

Evacuations were being hampered by thick volcanic ash on some roads, an official said.

Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements around four kms from the crater, burning and damaging residents' houses.

One of the greatest risks to tourists is a phreatic explosion - a blast of hot steam, ash and rocks that comes with little warning.

The eruption followed a series of small yet intense earthquakes in the Sundhnuks crater series.

Authorities have evacuated seven villages nearby since May 16 but no new evacuation planned after the latest eruption.

The volcano is recently active because there is an intense magma movement.

Winds were expected to carry poisonous gas pollution away from the capital Reykjavik, authorities said.

The volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted for about five minutes, projecting ash into the sky as high as 5 km, officials said.

Heavy rain on the island of Sumatra caused flash floods, landslides, and cold lava to flow down a volcano and into nearby towns.

Lightning flashes lit up its crater, prompting authorities to raise the alert status and evacuate people living on a nearby island.