The Mount Ruang volcano erupted in the early hours of Tuesday morning spewing ash and lava into the night sky.

The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said the volcano in North Sulawesi erupted at 1.30 am local time on April 30.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) in Indonesia has set the activity status of Mount Ruang at level IV.

From April 29, the PVMBG recorded 15 avalanche earthquakes, 237 shallow volcanic earthquakes, 425 deep volcanic earthquakes, 15 local tectonic earthquakes and 6 distant tectonic earthquakes.

They warned that the increased volcanic activity has the potential to develop into explosive eruptions alternating with lava flows.

Residents in the Tagulandang Island area and within a 6 km radius have been told to immediately evacuat to a safe place outside the 6km danger zone.

Officials said locals should be aware of the potential for ejections of incandescent rocks, hot clouds surges and tsunamis due to eruptive material entering the sea or the collapse of volcanic bodies into the sea.