Jakarta: A volcano erupted in central Indonesia on Saturday, spewing hot ash and rocks high into the air and killing five people.

Mount Rokatenda, on the tiny island of Palue, sent fast-moving red-hot ash onto a nearby beach, leaving three adults and two children dead.

Rokatenda has been on high alert since October, with authorities banning people from any activities within three kilometres (1.9 miles) from the crater on the island of around 7,000 inhabitants.

It was reported that the five people had been killed within the exclusion zone.

It was not clear what the victims had been doing in the restricted area when it erupted.

“We have found the bodies of the adults, but we are still looking for the children, and it is difficult because the area is still very hot,”

The volcano began erupting at 04:27 am and it continued for nearly four hours.

Volcanic ash travelled as far as 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) from the crater.

The Indonesian archipelago has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the “Ring of Fire” between the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The country’s most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions in 2010.

Merapi

Merapi is an active stratovolcano located in Central Java, Indonesia, and is one of the world’s most active and dangerous volcanoes. Its name translates to “Mountain of Fire,” and it has erupted regularly since 1548, significantly shaping the surrounding landscape and local culture. The volcano is considered sacred in Javanese beliefs and is a central figure in local mythology.

Rokatenda

Rokatenda is a volcano located on the small island of Palu’e, Indonesia. It is historically significant for its frequent and often deadly eruptions, the most catastrophic of which occurred in 1928, destroying villages and altering the island’s landscape.

Palue

Palue is a small volcanic island in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, known for its active volcano, Mount Rokatenda. The island has a rich cultural history tied to the indigenous community that has historically lived in the shadow of the volcano. A major eruption in 2013 forced the evacuation and permanent relocation of most of its population.

Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. It is a direct result of plate tectonics and the movement and collisions of lithospheric plates. This 40,000 km horseshoe-shaped belt is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and plate movements.

Indonesian archipelago

The Indonesian archipelago is a vast chain of over 17,000 islands that has been a critical hub of trade and cultural exchange for millennia. Its history is defined by the rise and fall of powerful Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms and sultanates, followed by centuries of Dutch colonial rule. Today, it forms the nation of Indonesia, which is renowned for its staggering ethnic and linguistic diversity.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest and deepest ocean, covering more than 60 million square miles. It was named by the explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 for its apparently calm waters (“pacific” meaning peaceful), though it has been a vital corridor for migration, trade, and cultural exchange for thousands of years.

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world, serving as a critical historical crossroads for trade and cultural exchange between Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia for millennia. Its history is deeply defined by ancient maritime trade routes, including the spice trade, and later by European colonial exploration and empire-building.

Java

Java is the most populous island in Indonesia and a historical and cultural heartland, having been home to powerful Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms and later a center of Islamic sultanates. It is renowned for its immense cultural significance, including the 9th-century Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, and the ancient Hindu temple complex of Prambanan.