A volcano on the remote island of Halmahera has erupted, spewing a grey ash cloud into the sky and forcing people from seven nearby villages to evacuate, Indonesian authorities have said.

Mount Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, sending ash 2.5 miles (4km) into the sky while streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater, according to information and images shared by the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.

A team of police, military and search and rescue officials was dispatched to the area to evacuate residents from surrounding villages, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the country’s disaster mitigation agency.