Mount Semeru in Indonesia erupted on Sunday, unleashing a mile-high column of burning ash, causing authorities to upgrade the volcano's warning status to the highest level.

The eruption of the highest peak on the main island of Java in Indonesia, approximately 800 kilometers southeast of the capital city of Jakarta, prompted the evacuation of adjacent settlements.

Hendra Gunawan, the spokesman for the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), told Kompas TV that the elevated hazard level "means the danger has affected the people's settlement and the volcano's activity has intensified"

Kyodo news agency stated that Japan's meteorological office warned that a tsunami might strike the islands of Miyako and Yaeyama in Okinawa's southern prefecture.

After the hazard level was elevated to four, Gunawan cautioned neighboring residents not to travel within eight kilometers (five miles) of the crater. Immediately following the eruption, no casualties or injuries were reported.

Thoriqul Haq, the local administration chief for Lumajang, where the volcano is located, told Kompas TV, "Many people have begun to descend." Exactly one year ago, Mount Semeru erupted, killing at least 51 people.

Entire streets were covered in muck and ash, engulfing homes and automobiles, and about 10,000 people sought sanctuary.

Indonesia is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region where continental plate collisions generate intense volcanic and seismic activity. Nearly 130 active volcanoes are found in the Southeast Asian archipelago nation.