JAKARTA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of villagers have been evacuated after a volcano erupted in eastern part of Indonesia, officials said here Tuesday.

    Mount Karangetan on Siau Island, of North Sulawesi province has been on top alert status since Sunday, as the volcano has formed a crater on its side and spewed black ash carrying hot materials up to two kilometers, head of Indonesian Volcanology Agency Surono who goes with single name said.

    "The mount has erupted and formed craters at its side and spew black ash carrying hot material, which is very dangerous," he told Xinhua.

    Surono said that the agency had recommended local administration to evacuate residence living in the slope of the volcano up to more than 3 kilometers.

    "We have closed the area for any activities up to 3 kilometers," he said.

    Head of local disaster management agency Arnold Poly said that nearly 400 villagers fled their homes at several villages on the slopes of the mountain after several times of tremors and spewing of hot lava.

    "The total evacuees reaches 364 people, they take shelters in church and other building which are far from the volcano," he told Xinhua from the province.

    The last eruption of Karangetang occurred in 1992, killing at least six people.

    Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago country, has 500 volcanoes, of which 128 are active and 65 are listed as dangerous.