‘End-of-the-world’ volcano eruption leaves houses ‘submerged in ash’

Thousands have been displaced and houses have been left submerged in ash after a volcano erupted.

The terrifying explosion saw nearly 2000 people evacuated and 20,000 face masks handed out to prevent those who live nearby from inhaling killer volcanic ash after Mount Semeru in Indonesia began erupting at 2:46am local time on Sunday December 4 (7:46pm on Saturday GMT).

Now, horrifying video footage of the incident shared to Twitter has shown the effects of the explosion on those who live in the area.

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The clip was captioned: "The impact of the eruption of Mount Semeru has begun to be felt by local residents.

"May Allah protect all…"

Further footage of the eruption showed the sky turning black and a huge plume of smoke blocking out the sunlight.

So far, no deaths or casualties have been reported as a result of the eruption, and people who have been evacuated are taking shelter in schools and village halls, CNN reported.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said in a statement that the volcano's alert level had been raised to the highest, Level 4, used only if an eruption is imminent, underway, or suspected.

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The organisation told residents to stay at least 17km (10.5 miles) from the volcano and said volcanic ash had spread as far as 12km (7.4 miles).

According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the plume of smoke from the eruption stretched a whopping 15km (49,200 feet) into the air.

Japan issued a tsunami warning for some of its islands in the southwest following the eruption – however, meteorologists have since said that the tide has remained unchanged.

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The volcano, the highest on Java Island, has had 55 recorded eruptions since 1818 – 11 of which have been fatal and is also known as the "Great Mountain".

Last year the volcano erupted three times – on January 16, December 4, and December 6.

The eruptions resulted in at least 57 deaths and 104 injuries and thousands of people being displaced from their homes – while 23 people went missing and have not been found.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes.

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