Panic gripped south-central Indonesia on Tuesday as Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted for the second consecutive day, blanketing villages in thick volcanic ash and spewing lava and rocks up to 4 km into the sky.

A huge volcanic eruption in Indonesia has forced airlines to cancel flights as they avoid the area where significant amounts of ash have flooded the sky.

Australia's Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Darwin issued a red aviation warning about the volcanic ash plume, saying it rose to an estimated 19.2km altitude and is moving at 30 knots in a westerly direction.