Volcano erupts on Indonesian island of Sulawesi

JAKARTA (AP) - A volcano erupted on Indonesia's Sulawesi island early Tuesday, sending plumes of smoke and hot ash shooting 1,500 meters (yards) into the air, officials said.

There were no reports of injuries or damage, but villages along Mount Soputan's base were covered in volcanic dust and many residents were wearing face masks, local volcanologist Sandy Manengke said.

"Smoke and debris keep spewing from the mouth of the volcano," he said, adding there was no immediate need for evacuations because the nearest villages were well away from the danger zone.

However, farmers who regularly work soil along the mountain's fertile slopes were told to stay clear of the peak.

Mount Soputan is 2,160 kilometers (1,350 miles) northeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other nation because of its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" _ a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.