Indonesia's most volatile volcano spews ash in new eruption

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s most volatile volcano has spewed ash and hot gas in a massive column as high as 3.7 miles into the sky.

Clouds of ash, accompanied by a rumbling sound heard miles away, blanketed several villages on the main island of Java.

Indonesia’s volcanology agency did not raise Merapi’s alert status, which already was at the third-highest level since it began erupting last August.

The 9,737-foot mountain is the most active of 500 Indonesian volcanoes. It has rumbled and generated dark hot clouds since last year. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 353 people.