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"At least 16 people have died after Mount Sinabung erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The 8,530ft peak spewed out lava and gas, sending burning ash on to its slopes. Thousands fled on foot and in vehicles to escape the deadly clouds. The volcano had been rumbling for months and people had only recently moved back to their homes after it was believed the seismic activity was diminishing"

"Volcanic ash shrouds a large swath of Java, the country's most densely populated island, after the overnight eruption killed two, forced 100,000 people from their homes and closed international airports"

"Ash cloud from Java island's Mount Kelud forces 100,000 people to flee their homes and international airports to close"

"Mt Kelud spews ash and sand over six-mile radius, grounding flights and affecting 200,000 people"

"Third eruption sends ash and hot rock 2.5 miles into air Smaller than previous two but prompts more evacuations"

"Thick, black ash and rock clouds explode five miles into the air as the moment Mount Shindake erupts without warning on Friday is captured on film. The 140 residents of the southern Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu are being evacuated. There are no reports of injuries or damage, although several people are yet to be accounted for"

"The eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökul volcano on 20 March 2010 demonstrated the weaknesses in Europe's diverse air traffic control network. As a massive ash cloud up to 8 kilometres high gradually extended across western Europe, forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights and stranding millions of passengers across the entire continent. Although European air controllers correctly prioritised passenger safety above all other factors, the scenario left many airline industry commentators and journalists frustrated with the European Union's apparent inability to swiftly and effectively act on changing meteorological and airline information. With few exceptions, the maintenance of separate airspace quadrants by each EU member, each with different processes, response mechanisms, as well as external pressures from airlines and politicians, all contributed to delayed and even contradictory responses in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Oslo."