AT least 11 people were killed after Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano erupted yesterday, the first time it is known to have claimed any lives.

The volcano, on the western island of Sumatra, has becoming increasingly active in recent months, regularly spewing columns of ash several kilometres into the air. The government has evacuated tens of thousands of residents near the area. Sinabung is one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in the world's most populous country, which stands on the "Ring of Fire" volcanic belt around the Pacific Ocean.