JAKARTA, Feb 13 — Indonesia warned tourists and locals against approaching Mount Merapi after it briefly erupted in the early morning of Feb 13, reported VNA.

According to the Indonesian Research and Technological Development for Geological Disaster Agency (BPPTKG), Mount Merapi erupted for about two minutes, starting at 5.16am (local time).

It spewed a column of volcanic ash by up to 2,000 metres, threatening the safety of the tourists and locals in the surrounding areas.

The mountain, which sits on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, has been active lately with the last eruption reported on Jan 4.

Although the eruption was brief, the giant ash column it sent into the air forced the BPPTKG to set the alert level at "waspada” (caution), the second-highest level on the country’s four-tier system.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the Pacific "Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2018, the country was hit by 11,577 earthquakes, leaving many people dead and homeless. — Bernama