Mount Soputan volcano erupts as earthquake hits Indonesia

October 25, 2007

Jakarta - Mount Soputan erupted in central Indonesia and a powerful earthquake hit western Indonesia Thursday.

Soputan erupted spewing clouds of ash up to 5,000 feet in the air, authorities said.

The nearly 6,000-foot-high volcano is located in North Sulawesi province and is more than 1,300 miles northeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Hendrasto, who uses a single name, with Indonesia's Vulcanology and Meteorology Agency said he was "not overly concerned" about the eruption that took place around 9:15 a.m. local time, because the closest village is about 5 miles from the volcano.

A powerful earthquake rocked western Indonesia on Thursday, prompting local authorities to issue a tsunami warning and sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes, reports the Associated Press.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and struck 85 miles west of Bengkulu, a coastal town off Sumatra island, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It hit 18 miles beneath the ocean floor the AP reported.