Three volcanoes in Indonesia show increased volcanic activity Sunday, prompting thousands of nearby villagers to evacuate the area, an official said, according to dpa. A spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Mount Gamalama's eruptions since Saturday have prompted at least 1500 villagers to flee, with the numbers of refugees increasing as authorities continue to collect data from two villages. Nugroho said data from the volcanology and geological disaster agency showed the volcano on Ternate island of North Maluku province has been generating constant tremors. Smoke, billowing between 150 to 800 metres into the air, is mainly white, indicating that it consists mainly of steam and not volcanic ash. An earlier eruption this week by the volcano forced the closure Sultan Babulllah airport. Two other volcanoes on different islands also showed intense volcanic activity. Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra on Sunday twice ejected material 2,500 - 3,000 metres into the air, while Mount Raung in East Java ejected thick, greyish black smoke up to 2,000 meters high. The Transport Ministry announced the closure of a small airport in Sumenep, Madura Island, located on the Java Sea north of East Java province from 3 pm Sunday (0800 GMT) until at least 7 am Monday (0000 GMT Monday), Vivanews.com reported. "The eruptions of Mount Sinabung and Mount Gamalama have forced so far roughly 12,616 people to live in temporary shelters," Nugroho said.
