For four centuries Mount Sinabung in Indonesia held its peace.<br/> <br />It's sleeping no longer.<br/> <br />The volcano in North Sumatra province started erupting in late November.<br/> <br />It's been sending out increasingly powerful eruptions ever since.<br/> <br />On Tuesday it hurled more choking clouds of ash high in the sky.<br/> <br />Resident say some homes and many of their crops have gone.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(Bahasa Indonesia) NANDO SITEPU, RESIDENT OF SIBINTUN VILLAGE, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Many houses have collapsed, trees have fallen down, and many of our garden crops have been damaged and can't be harvested. Everything is destroyed."<br/> <br />The National Disaster Management Agency says nearly 22, 000 people have been evacuated.<br/> <br />Some stay in shelters overnight but come back during the day.<br/> <br />Experts monitoring the volcano's activity have issued the highest alert status and are warning people to stay at least five kilometres away from the crater.
