Java volcano forces thousands to evacuate

STORY: About 2,500 people have been forced to evacuate on the Indonesian island of Java over its erupting volcano, Mount Semeru.

Reuters video shows villagers desperately trying to flee, and homes buried in ash.

An eight-kilometer no-go zone has been imposed on the surrounding areas, and entire villages vacated.

This villager, named Maryam, is telling us that she's asked the government for a house to relocate into as soon as possible.

She's living in a temporary shelter, and afraid that if hot ash clouds return she won't be able to salvage her belongings.

She will have to start her life from scratch, she says.

Mount Semeru erupted last year, killing over 50 people and displacing thousands more.

Indonesia has 142 volcanos, and the largest population in the world living in close range to one.