Mount Sinabung Update - After Mount Sinabung's latest activity made volcanologists worried, the Indonesian government has raised the alert status to the highest level.

The Indonesian authorities have been closely monitoring Mount Sinabung's increasing activity since early June. And on June 16, one of the world's most active volcanoes erupted, sending clouds of ash into the sky. According to International Business Times, the eruption is the latest since the government put the volcano on its highest alert status.

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"Volcanic activity of Mount Sinabung increased this morning when hot ash spewed as far as 2.5km at 7.30am. Around 8.16am, the hot ash was spewing towards south east and the wind direction was heading towards the east [of the mountain]," Sinabung observation center head Armen Putra said.

Putra also revealed that the eruption has since continued and that their data showed the outburst on Tuesday lasted for 290 seconds. The Times reported that at least 48 avalanches of hot ash tumbled down its slopes and has also been shooting smoke and ash more than 700 meters into the air.

Meanwhile, as Mount Sinabung could be on the verge of a violent eruption, thousands of residents living near the volcano are refusing to leave their homes, The Weather Channel has learned. Subur Tambun, the local disaster mitigation agency head, said that only 10,000 of about 33,000 residents living within the main danger zones have evacuated into tent camps or government buildings, which are on a safe distance from the volcano.

For days, Indonesian authorities faced resistance after they pleaded with villagers in the main danger zone, which stretches 7 kilometers (4 miles) to the south and southeast of the peak, to evacuate to temporary shelters.

Despite the danger, villagers are still reluctant to leave their homes. However, this scenario is quite common in Indonesia. The expansive archipelago nation, which has more volcanoes than any other country, is prone to volcanic eruptions and seismic upheavals because it sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire." As previously reported, the "Ring of Fire" refers to the arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Since Mount Sinabung is known for its fertile soil, some evacuees returned home Tuesday to tend their crops and livestock, despite warnings.

Last year, a massive eruption killed at least 17 people and displaced thousands of residents to safer settlements. And since their villages remain unlivable, the evacuees are still living in temporary houses provided by the government while waiting for permanent relocation.

TagsMount Sinabung, Indonesia, Volcano, volcanic eruption