Ash rise 4 km into sky as Indonesian volcano erupts

A volcano on the isolated Indonesian island of Halmahera erupted dramatically, shooting a grey ash cloud into the sky. Soon after the eruption, seven neighboring villages were evacuated. Mt. Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, spewing ash 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) high and flashing purple lightning around its crater, according to information and photographs given by Indonesia’s volcanology agency.

A joint team of police, military, and search and rescue authorities was rushed to the region to evacuate residents from adjacent communities.

The disaster agency tweeted photos of authorities assisting the elderly, while other people were transported in pick-up trucks and sheltered in emergency tents for the night, reported Reuters.

As the as cloud took to the sky, numerous individuals caught the display on camera and shared it on social media. Take a look at a few videos and pictures of the volcano here: