Mount Lokon spews volcanic ash
Residents look on as Mount Lokon spews volcanic ash during an eruption in Tomohon in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province Reuters

An active volcano has erupted in Central Indonesia forcing nearby residents to flee.

Mount Lokon has already erupted three times and authorities in Indonesia expect there to be more. The volcano is located on the northern Sulawesi Island of the country. The explosive volcano has forced 5,000 residents of the area to flee. One woman suffered a heart attack and died while attempting to leave.

Overall, 30,000 or so people live in the area near the volcano. However, only 5,000 were in the evacuation zone, which was established as a two-mile radius around the volcano.

The latest eruption on Sunday was the biggest to date according to authorities. It spewed soot and debris 11,400 feet and forced residents to find their way back to shelters after having come back from the Thursday and Friday eruptions.

The volcano has been dormant since 1991 when it erupted and similarly forced thousands to flee and took the life of a Swiss hiker. It is one of 129 active volcanoes in the populated country of 240 million people. The country is located on the Ring of Fire, which is a string of faults that lines the Pacific Ocean.

Here is some raw footage courtesy of The Associated Press