Mount Sinabung volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has erupted again, sending ash and smoke several kilometres into the atmosphere.

印度尼西亚苏门答腊岛上的锡纳朋火山日前再次爆发，致使周围数公里空气中充满灰尘和烟雾。

Nearly 20,000 people living near the volcano have left their homes for emergency shelters

Thousands of people living near the mountain evacuated¹ their homes to stay in government-provided shelters（庇护所） .

According to airport officials, some domestic flights in the region have been affected² by the volcanic³ ash.

Mount Sinabung, long considered to be inactive, erupted for the first time in 400 years in the early hours of Sunday.

Mr Surono, a government vulcanologist（火山学家） , told the BBC that the volcano erupted again early on Monday, spewing（喷涌，呕吐） black ash and soot⁴（熏黑，弄脏） two kilometres (1.24 miles) into the air.

He said the eruption⁵ was bigger than Sunday's.

Respiratory problems

The eruption has affected some local flights.

An official at Medan Airport, the biggest city near Mount Sinabung, told the BBC that domestic flights that were due to fly over the volcano have been suspended until further notice.

Meanwhile, relief workers are now providing shelter and medical aid to the villagers who have been affected by the volcano's eruptions⁶.

The majority of villagers within a 6km (3.7 miles) radius⁷（半径） of Mount Sinabung have been evacuated.

Red Cross workers told the BBC that more than 18,000 people are now living in camps and government shelters.

Workers say that the immediate⁸ danger the villagers face is respiratory（呼吸的） problems.

Thousands of face masks have been handed out to protect them from the thick ash and smoke that has permeated⁹（充满） the atmosphere.