Land of smoke and ash

Land of smoke and ash

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Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the eruptions of Mount Sinabung, a volcano in Indonesia's north Sumatra province.

Sinabung lay dormant for centuries but became active again in 2010. Since September last year it has been periodically spewing massive clouds of gas and ash high into the atmosphere.

. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

Debris from the 2,460 metre-high volcano has travelled several kilometres from its crater.

Thousands of hectares of farming land have been affected by the eruptions and more than 22,000 people have fled their homes and are being housed in temporary shelters, the National Disaster Management Agency said.

. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/YT Haryono

Sinabung is one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, a country that straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire".

Its eruptions have left swathes of the surrounding area coated in ash, creating eerie, colourless landscapes like the one pictured above.

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Slideshow

Lightning strikes as Mount Sinabung spews ash and hot lava in the Karo district of Indonesia's North Sumatra province.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/YT Haryono

Lightning strikes as Mount Sinabung spews ash and hot lava in the Karo district of Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

A mother holds her child as Mount Sinabung erupts.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

A mother holds her child as Mount Sinabung erupts.

A resident carries her belongings as she is evacuated from Payung village after it was hit by ash from the volcano.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/YT Haryono

A resident carries her belongings as she is evacuated from Payung village after it was hit by ash from the volcano.

The day after an eruption, a dog sits in the middle of a road in Mardingding village, where residents were evacuated.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

The day after an eruption, a dog sits in the middle of a road in Mardingding village, where residents were evacuated.

Fine volcanic ash covers a roof in the village. The nearby volcano continued to emit debris, throwing an 8,000 meter (26,247 foot) high plume into the atmosphere.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

Fine volcanic ash covers a roof in the village. The nearby volcano continued to emit debris, throwing an 8,000 meter (26,247 foot) high plume into the atmosphere.

A woman clears ash from the roof of her house in Mardinding village.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Beawiharta

A woman clears ash from the roof of her house in Mardinding village.

A child climbs onto a truck as residents are evacuated from Payung village.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Beawiharta

A child climbs onto a truck as residents are evacuated from Payung village.

An elderly couple stands outside their house as they wait to be evacuated from the area.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Beawiharta

An elderly couple stands outside their house as they wait to be evacuated from the area.

A man in Tiga Pancur village covers his face with a plastic sheet to protect himself from volcanic ash.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

A man in Tiga Pancur village covers his face with a plastic sheet to protect himself from volcanic ash.

A villager charges her mobile phone at a temporary shelter for those who were forced to flee the volcano.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Beawiharta

A villager charges her mobile phone at a temporary shelter for those who were forced to flee the volcano.

Ash from Mount Sinabung billows up behind a church cross.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Beawiharta

Ash from Mount Sinabung billows up behind a church cross.

A dog sniffs the carcass of another dog in Mardingding village.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

A dog sniffs the carcass of another dog in Mardingding village.

A woman carries a bucket full of ash-covered tomatoes on her head.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

A woman carries a bucket full of ash-covered tomatoes on her head.

Dead chilli plants stand coated with volcanic ash in Sibintun village.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/YT Haryono

Dead chilli plants stand coated with volcanic ash in Sibintun village.

A hibiscus flower blooms from an ash-covered plant in Mardingding village.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

A hibiscus flower blooms from an ash-covered plant in Mardingding village.

Students, who attend a school outside the evacuation area around the erupting volcano, walk between ash-covered trees as they return home.
. KARO, Indonesia. REUTERS/Roni Bintang

Students, who attend a school outside the evacuation area around the erupting volcano, walk between ash-covered trees as they return home.