Videos have been shared on YouTube, showing the Lewotolo volcano on Lomblen island in southern Indonesia erupting and spewing smoke and ash into the sky.
Footage shows people, some of them with little children in their arms, running in panic from the area surrounding the volcano.
According to VolcanoDiscovery, seismologists had warned local residents about a high level of activity at the Lewotolo volcano and advised that they use face coverings to protect their respiratory system from particles of ash in the air.
No injuries or damage has so far been reported on the island.