MOUNT TALANG (Indonesia), April 12: A volcano spewed into life on Tuesday on Indonesia’s disaster-blighted Sumatra island, spreading new panic after the recent tsunami and earthquakes and driving thousands from their homes. Mount Talang, 40 kilometres east of Sumatra’s coastal Padang city began pumping out volcanic ash shortly before dawn, prompting scientists to urge people to move away from the fall-out zone.

More than 20,000 people have been evacuated from the volcano’s slope, the Antara news agency quoted local official Bustamar saying. It said the volcano’s status had been raised to “beware”, one rung below full-blown eruption.

Vulcanologist Gede Suwantika described Talang’s activity as “serious” saying there was a risk of molten magma and clouds of super-heated gas that burn everything in their path.

“This is what I worry, that this activity will be followed by a larger eruption that is magmatic in nature,” he said.

“Heat clouds could also descend, and this is what is risky as they can reach several kilometres” he said.

An AFP photographer at the 2,599 metre volcano said a narrow road leading to the mountain was clogged by people deserting the area, which was shrouded in thick fog.

The volcano issued another outburst at 11:30 am and another at 6:45 in the evening, accompanied by a loud bang, according to a police spokesman in Solok, 40 kilometres northeast of the volcano. He said the situation was calm.

Elfi Sahlan Ben, an official in Solok, told the Detikcom news website that ash was being carried by winds further down the slopes while strong gaseous odours were permeating the air around the mountain.—AFP