Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi started to erupt this morning at around 9:59 am (0159 GMT), sending heat clouds as far as four kilometres (2.5 miles) and throwing ash two kilometres into the air, Agus Budianto from the volcanology office told AFP.

"The eruption is still going on,"he said.

There was no order to evacuate as the nearest village was eight kilometres away on the western side, but people had been warned not to come within six kilometres of the mountain.

Soputan, one of Sulawesi's most active volcanoes, last erupted in 2004 when lava oozed down its southwest slope. No fatalities were recorded.

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