Indonesian Volcano Spews Smoke, Debris*

Thursday October 25, 2007 5:16 AM

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - A volcano erupted in central Indonesia on
Thursday, shooting plumes of white smoke and debris nearly 5,000 feet
into the air, an official said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries following the blast at Mount
Soputan, located on Sulawesi island, said Sandy Manengke, a local
monitoring official, noting that residents living near the crater had
been evacuated beforehand.

Volcanic ash covered villages along the slopes of the 5,800-foot
mountain, he said.

People living as far as 12 miles from the crater said they felt the heat
after the eruption. Some were wearing face masks to protect themselves
against the heavy smoke and dust.

Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other nation because of its
location on the Pacific ``Ring of Fire'' - a series of fault lines
stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

Mount Soputan is 1,350 miles northeast of the capital, Jakarta.