Top alert on Indonesia volcano, villages evacuate

JAKARTA, Aug 20 (Reuters) Lava and hot gas clouds have begun erupting from an Indonesian volcano, threatening hundreds of people living in nearby villages, an official said today.

Saut Simatupang, the head of Indonesia's Vulcanology Survey, said the alert status for Mount Karangetang was raised to maximum at the weekend after hot clouds started moving eastwards, posing a threat to hundreds of people.

Mount Karangetang, on the diving resort island of Siau off Sulawesi and 2,325 km north-east of the capital Jakarta, is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes.

''At least hundreds of the 30,000 people living on the island are at grave risk,'' Simatupang said by telephone from his office in the city of Bandung.

''We have recommended evacuation for entire districts and we are pushing for the complete evacuation of at least two villages located 5 km from the volcano's crater.'' Simatupang said he received reports saying lava had already spread more than 1 km down the volcano's slopes.

Although details were not clear, Simatupang said that dozens had left their homes in an area south-east of the 1,827 metre volcano.

Another volcano 175 km south of Mount Karangetang has also been spewing ash and sending debris down its slopes.

But Simatupang said that Mount Soputan, which lies on the northern tip of the Sulawesi island, was no threat to nearby villages.

Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes of any country, sitting on a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity known as the ''Pacific Ring of Fire.'' REUTERS SW BST0926