series of massive hot avalanches generates large ash plumes rising 5 km into the air / VolcanoDiscovery

Hot flash flood and ash plume from Sinabung earlier today (image: VSI press release)

Waving ash plume from Sinabung (photo: Nachelle Homestay / twitter)

A major collapse of the active lava dome this morning caused a massive pyroclastic flow that traveled about 5 km and generated a large ash cloud that also rose about 5 km above the volcano.
During January to March 1, 2021, the volcano observatory recorded 37 explosive eruptions, causing ash columns to reach up to 1000 m from the crest of the volcano. Small to medium pyroclastic flows (avalanches of hot material caused by collapses on the unstable sides of the dome) reached 1500-2500 meters from the crest to the east, southeast and south.
However, the event this morning surpasses anything observed at the volcano in recent years: from 06:42 local time, a series of collapse events caused hot avalanches that traveled 2000 to 5000 m to the southeast and east, with ash columns reaching 4000 to 4000 has risen. 5000 m from the body of the hot avalanche cloud (known as phoenix clouds). By 08:20 local time, the volcanic observatory had reported a total of 13 such pyroclastic currents.
Fortunately, there are no reports of deaths or injuries – the affected areas have been devastated by earlier events in recent years since the 2013 volcanic eruption.
Impressive photos of the event can be found all over the internet, especially social media like Twitter: