Indonesia volcano: Residents flee as Mt Semeru spews huge ash cloud

Residents on the Indonesian island of Java have been fleeing a vast plume of ash as an active volcano erupted for the second time in months.

Witnesses said a thick rain of volcanic ash from Mt Semeru was blotting out the Sun in two local districts.

No casualties have yet been reported and evacuations are under way, officials said.

Meanwhile a monitoring body issued a warning to airlines of an ash cloud rising up to 15,000m (50,000 ft).