Indonesia volcano erupts, kills 6 people

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Gushing hot lava from an erupting volcano has killed six people in a beach village in eastern Indonesia.

A disaster official says the victims were asleep when the volcano erupted early this morning, shooting ash and smoke more than 6,000 feet into the air.

Mount Rokatenda on Palue island has been rumbling since last October, prompting the evacuation of nearly 3,000 people from the area.

The disaster agency says those killed included three adults and two children. The age of the sixth person killed was unclear.

The Indonesian archipelago is home to 240 million people. It is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity because it sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped series of fault lines.

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