Thousands of islanders are set to be evacuated after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia, spewing a towering column of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, officials said Wednesday.

This is the spectacular moment the Mount Ibu volcano erupted, sending a towering column of ash skywards in Indonesia today. Footage shows thick grey smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air, leaning towards the west and northwest in West Halmahera Regency,

Mount Ibu erupted at 07:11 a.m. (2211 GMT Tuesday) for around two minutes, the volcanology agency said in a statement. Clouds of thick grey ash billowed into the sky leaning towards the west, said Muhammad Wahid,

Mount Ibu, located on Halmahera island in eastern Indonesia, erupted on January 15 morning, sending a 4-kilometer-high ash column into the sky, forcing authorities to raise the alert to the highest level for surrounding areas.

Mount Ibu, a volcano on Indonesia's Halmahera island, erupted Wednesday, sending four-kilometer high ash clouds into the sky. Authorities raised the alert level and advised against activities within five kilometers of the crater.

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and releasing a column of smoke and ash four kilometres (3.1 miles) into the air, an official said.

Mount Ibu, located on the remote island of Halmahera, erupted for a fifth time this year today, sending a column of smoke four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky. The volcano’s alert status was subsequently raised to the highest level by Indonesia’s Geological Agency.

Thousands of residents are being evacuated after Mount Ibu, a volcano on the remote island of Halmahera in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Wednesday. The eruption sent a towering column of smoke and ash 4 kilometers into the sky, prompting heightened alert measures.