Mount Ibu in North Maluku in Indonesia erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and releasing a column of smoke and ash four kilometres, an official said.

The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, erupted at 7:45 pm Eastern Indonesia time, sending a tall flaming column soaring into the sky.

"The lava was spotted two kilometres away from the eruption centre," Geological Agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement.

The volcano is still at the second-highest alert level.

There has been no new evacuation order, but visitors and villagers have been told to vacate a zone four to 5.5 kilometres from the peak.

Ibu is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, erupting more than 2,000 times last year. More than 700,000 people lived on Halmahera island as of 2022, according to official figures.