ISTANBUL

Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano in East Java erupted seven times in three hours early Wednesday, sending volcanic ash up to 800 meters (2,624 feet) above its peak, state-run media reported.

The first eruption occurred at 4.58 am (2158GMT Tuesday), producing a thick gray ash plume drifting northeast, according to Antara news agency.

Seismic activity recorded a maximum amplitude of 22 mm and lasted 138 seconds.

Subsequent eruptions followed at 6.10 am and 6.56 am, with ash rising between 300 and 700 meters, while another eruption at 7.05 am sent a 600-meter-high column northward.

The fifth eruption reached up to 800 meters, and two more eruptions were later reported as authorities continued to monitor the volcano.

Authorities warned people to avoid activities within 500 meters of the Besuk Kobokan riverbank, as hot clouds and lava flows could travel up to 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) from the volcano’s peak.

Indonesia, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes.