Mount Ruang volcano erupts five times in a row, triggers Indonesia tsunami alert

Photo : AFP

Indonesian authorities sprang into action on Wednesday, issuing a tsunami alert following multiple eruptions of the Ruang mountain volcano. These eruptions propelled ash and lava thousands of feet into the air, triggering concerns of potential hazards across various regions of Indonesia. Local authorities reported the evacuation of over 11,000 individuals in response to the alert.

Mount Ruang, situated on the northern side of Sulawesi Island, experienced at least five significant eruptions on Wednesday, prompting the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation to raise its alert level to the highest, indicating an active eruption.

On Thursday, the volcano's crater continued to emit white-gray smoke, reaching heights of over 500 meters (1,640 feet) above the summit. Authorities mandated a minimum evacuation distance of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378-foot) mountain, impacting over 11,000 residents, with approximately 800 complying with evacuation orders so far.

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In response to the volcanic activity, the international airport in Manado city was temporarily closed as volcanic ash dispersed into the atmosphere. Ambar Suryoko, head of the regional airport authority, emphasized the closure's necessity to ensure flight safety.

The volcanology center highlighted potential dangers associated with the eruption, including the risk of a portion of the volcano collapsing into the sea, potentially triggering a tsunami. In anticipation of such a scenario, residents of Tagulandang Island, located to the east of the volcano, were evacuated to safer locations.

Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, emphasized the urgency of evacuating individuals within a 6-kilometer radius of Tagulandang Island to safe locations beyond this range. Special attention was directed towards those residing near the coast, who were cautioned about the potential hazards of incandescent rock eruptions, pyroclastic flows, and tsunami waves resulting from the collapse of volcanic material into the sea.

The agency announced plans to transfer evacuated residents to Manado, the closest city on Sulawesi Island, with the journey by boat estimated to take six hours.

Indonesia has a history of volcanic eruptions triggering tsunamis, including the 2018 eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano, which resulted in a devastating tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java islands, claiming hundreds of lives. With its location along the Ring of Fire, Indonesia remains vulnerable to volcanic activity, being home to 120 active volcanoes amidst a population of 270 million.

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