JAKARTA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia, erupted again on Thursday, spewing a column of ash by up to 3 km high, and a flight warning was issued, the Volcanology Agency said.
The volcano situated in main Java Island erupted at 3:10 p.m. Jakarta time with winds blowing to the east of the crater, the agency said in a statement.
The residents were asked to take precautionary measures if rains of ash poured down, it said.
A volcano observatory notice for aviation (VONA) with the level of the second highest, an orange code, was issued by the agency.
The code means the eruption endangers aviation, and planes are asked to avoid an air space around the hot clouds, it said.
No go-zone has been declared at a 3-km radius from the crater, according to the agency.
The agency did not recommend all hiking activities, except those with a purpose of observation linked with disaster mitigation, it said.
Mount Merapi erupted on March 27 with a column of ash spread by up to 5 km to the sky.
The 2,930-meter volcano which is one of Indonesia's 129 active volcanoes has regularly erupted since 1548.
A total of 353 people were killed and about 350,000 others were displaced during its eruptions from October to November 2010.
Indonesia, a vast archipelagic nation, is prone to volcanic activities and earthquakes as it lies along the "Pacific Ring of Fire."
