Indonesia lifts volcano alert status of Mount Sinabung to top level

Indonesian authorities have risen alert status of Mount Sinabung in Karo district of North Sumatra to the top level and recommends people living near the volcano to evacuate, official said here on Wednesday.

The status was hiked before midnight Tuesday as volcanic activities have risen sharply since the last two days, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of national disaster management agency.

The volume of lava at the top of the volcano has risen by more than 3 million cubic meters and was unstable, he said.

"This condition is potential to cause the collapse of the dome followed by hot ash as far as 7 km to the south and the southeast, " Sutopo told Xinhua via phone.

"The people living in the radius of 7 km in the south and the southeast of the crater are recommended to evacuate," he stressed.

Mount Sinabung of 2,600-meter (some 8,530-foot) high has sporadically erupted since September 2013 after being dormant for 3 years.

Mount Sinabung is one of Indonesia's 129 active volcanoes located on the vulnerable quake-hit zone so called the Pacific Ring of Fire. Endi