WATCH: Indonesia volcano shoots hot ash

A volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra island unleashed an avalanche of searing gas clouds flowing down its slopes during an eruption on Thursday. No casualties were reported. Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province was shooting smoke and ash as high as 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the air and hot ash clouds travelled up to 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) southeast, Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center said. Villagers were advised to stay 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) from the crater's mouth and to be aware of the peril of lava.The alert is being maintained at the second-highest level while authorities are closely monitoring the volcano after sensors picked up increasing activity in past weeks. The 2,600-metre (8,530-feet) mountain has been rumbling since last year. It was sending volcanic materials more than 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky and depositing ash on nearby villages when it erupted early this month.