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Thousands of people are evacuating their homes in Indonesia after a volcano erupted in east Java, the BBC reported.

Mount Kelud spewed ash and debris over a large area, including the city of Surabaya, about 130km (80 miles) away.

Some towns are reported to have been covered by a 4cm (1.6 in) layer of ash.

Three major airports in Surabaya, Solo and Yogyakarta were forced to shut down because of low visibility. There are also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Officials raised an alert on Thursday around an hour before the volcano erupted, and urged around 200,000 people living in 36 villages in a 10km (6 mile) radius around the volcano to evacuate.

However, it is not clear if they have all left their homes.

Some of the evacuees tried to visit their houses on Friday morning to gather clothing and valuables, but were forced to turn back by the continuous stream of volcanic ash and rocks from the volcano, AFP news agency reported.

The volcano spewed ash and gravel that flew as far as 200km (124 miles) away, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told the BBC.

The roofs of some houses reportedly collapsed under the debris.

The nearest town from the volcano, Kediri, looks completely grey and white, the BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta reports.

The thick dust makes it dangerous for pedestrians and vehicles to be on the road, and authorities say residents are volunteering to sweep the streets, he adds.