Massive plumes of smoke are rising over the Indonesian island of Java after Sunday's volcanic eruption. Two-thousand people have been forced to flee, and their villages are carpeted in ash.

Every community within eight kilometers of Mount Semeru is on highest alert. Authorities are extending that area in the southeast because of a dense mix of lava, ash and hot gas.

Authorities have banned all activities and called on people to evacuate to shelters. The ash was so thick it blocked out the sun. It's also combining with the monsoon rains to create a messy paste.

There are no confirmed casualties so far.

Mount Semeru's last major eruption a year ago left 50 people dead. The latest comes after a series of earthquakes, one of which killed hundreds.