Indonesia’s highest volcano erupted on Sunday, prompting evacuation orders and raising the country’s volcanic activity threat level to its highest after the release of searing gas clouds, rivers of lava and thick plumes of ash that reached nearly 50,000 feet into the sky.

Mount Semeru, a 12,060ft volcano, erupted after monsoon rains eroded its lava dome, leading to its collapse, said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency.

The volcano, located on Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, left several villages blanketed in ash and blocked out the sun. The eruption led to thick columns of ash spread over 49,212ft (15km) into the sky, according to Japan’s Meteorology Agency.

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Gas and lava flowed down Semeru’s slopes, traveling toward a nearby river.

“Most roads have been closed since this morning and now it is raining volcanic ash and it has covered the view of the mountain,” community volunteer Bayu Deny Alfianto was quoted as saying to Reuters by telephone from near the volcano.

Read more: Independent