A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and releasing a column of smoke and ash 4km into the air, an official said.

Mount Ibu, on Halmahera island in North Maluku province, erupted at 7.45pm central Indonesia time, sending a tall flaming column soaring into the sky.

“The lava was spotted 2km away from the eruption centre,” Geological Agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement.

Images from the volcano monitoring post showed a bright red column of flame and thick, dark smoke billowing high above the volcano crater.

The volcano is still at the second-highest alert level.

There has been no new evacuation order, but visitors and villagers have been told to vacate a zone four to 5.5km from the peak.

The agency also urged people to wear face masks and protective goggles in case of volcanic ash rain.

Ibu is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, erupting more than 2000 times last year.

More than 700,000 people lived on Halmahera island as of 2022, according to official figures.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

Last year, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing thousands of residents of nearby islands to evacuate.

- Agence France-Presse