ANKARA

Thick columns of volcanic ash burst into the sky after Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted Monday, the country's Geology Agency said.

The eruption sent a column of volcanic materials as high as 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and deposited ash on villages.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The volcano unleashed an avalanche of searing gas clouds down its slopes, said the agency that had increased the volcano’s alert status to the highest level after an eruption on June 18.

At least nine people were killed and dozens were injured following an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki last November.

The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain also erupted in March but caused no casualties.

It is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the district of Flores Timur.

Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a string of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Also, dozens of neighborhoods in the capital Jakarta were inundated due to heavy rain that has been pouring since Saturday, the local English daily Jakarta Globe reported on Monday.

*Writing by Aamir Latif