Indonesia's Mount Sinabung has erupted, sending a thick column of ash 4,500m into the air. 

The eruption lasted for more than 12 minutes, a local geological agency said.

Villages near the volcano in North Sumatra province had already been relocated following previous eruptions, and there were no casualties, said Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung monitoring post.

Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said: "The eruption column is thick grey, 4,500m high above the peak and inclined to the east and south."

"Hot clouds" have reaches as far as 1,000m south-east of the peak, it added.

An image shared by the agency showed billowing, dark smoke coming from the crater.

The volcano alert remains at level three, the second-highest level, where it has been since May 2019.

(With input from agencies)