JAKARTA, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 615 residents of Kuta Tengah village in Indonesia's North Sumatra province have been evacuated to shelters as volcanic activity at Mount Sinabung intensified, the country's disaster agency said Wednesday.

Volcanic materials are seen spewing from Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, Aug. 31, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Berton Panjaitan, acting spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, said joint teams carried out the evacuation as a precaution following a major eruption earlier this week.

Authorities have raised Mount Sinabung's alert status from Level II to Level III, one level below the highest level, following increased volcanic activity.

The volcano earlier sent an ash column about 3,500 meters above its summit, prompting authorities to expand the restricted zone.

Residents and tourists are prohibited from entering relocated villages, areas within a three-kilometer radius of the summit, and a sector extending up to six kilometers southeast of the volcano.