Eruption again in Indonesia, highest alert issued

Last Updated on April 30, 2024 8:59 am

The Ruang volcano near the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has erupted again. The country’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation (PVMBG) on its website urged local residents to stay away from the volcano as lava spewed and ash spewed from the volcano since Tuesday morning. They have been asked to be on high alert. Earlier this warning signal was downgraded to 3. Warning number 4 was given again on Tuesday.

Ruang Island in North Sulawesi Province has more than 800 inhabitants. Most of them were evacuated when the eruption started in the first week of this month. Manador Airport is temporarily closed. However, it was not immediately clear how many more people had been evacuated on Tuesday.

Videos of lava spewing from the volcano, located about 100 kilometers from the provincial capital Manado, have already gone viral on social media.

Several houses were damaged by rock and ash after the eruption earlier this month. A nearby hospital was also forced to evacuate quickly.

Due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, earthquake-prone Indonesia is prone to frequent volcanic eruptions.