JAKARTA, Indonesia – A volcano in western Indonesia has erupted repeatedly in the last few days, spewing red hot gas and rocks over a large area and forcing thousands to flee their homes, officials said Monday (November 25th), according to AFP.

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra has been erupting on and off since September, but repeatedly shot ash and rocks up to 8km into the air late Saturday and early Sunday,

On Monday, Sinabung erupted six more times , national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Some 17,700 people have fled their homes, he said.

Local government official Robert Peranginangin said there were no known casualties from the latest eruptions.

The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) raised the alert level for the volcano to the highest point on a four-stage scale.

"People living on the banks of rivers downstream from the summit of Mount Sinabung are reminded to stay alert for the threat of lava," it said, according to the Jakarta Globe.

Several flights were cancelled at North Sumatra's Kuala Namu International Airport, the Post reported.