Bali's Mount Agung erupts - in pictures

Molten rocks hurled from volcano as thick ash spiralled two miles into the air

Bali's largest volcano has erupted, sending 2,000-metre-high columns of ash spiralling into the air.

On Monday at 9pm local time lave began exploding out of Mount Agung and hurling burning chunks of rock up to a mile away from its crater.

It was the volcano's first explosive eruption since a dramatic increase in activity last year that temporarily forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Nearly 700 people fled Banjar Galih village, about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the crater, to an evacuation center, said a resident, Ketut Budi.

"I saw smoke rising and the volcano rumbled very loud," he told AP. "We came here with motorcycles and those with cars helped carry other people."

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