A volcano on a remote island in North Sulawesi province erupted on Wednesday, sending a column of lava and ash up to three kilometers high. Video on social media showed purple lightning streaking across the sky above the erupting volcano.
Mount Ruang volcano erupts lava in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, Indonesia on April 17, 2024. Photo: Antara Foto
More than 800 people have been evacuated from the area and authorities have further expanded the evacuation zone after the volcanology agency raised the alert status.
“The possibility of further eruption is still high, so we need to be vigilant,” Heruningtyas agency official Desi Purnamasari told reporters on Thursday.
The agency also received reports that falling rocks and ash damaged several homes and forced the evacuation of a nearby hospital.
Location of Ruang volcano. Graphic image: Mapbox
Transport authorities have closed the airport in the provincial capital Manado to prevent ash rain from the eruption.
Budget airline Air Asia has cancelled flights to nine airports in eastern Malaysia and Brunei after aviation authorities warned of a safety threat.
Coloured lightning was seen during the volcanic eruption. Photo: Volcanic and Geological Hazard Reduction Centre
Officials have sealed off a 6-km area around the volcano and are evacuating more residents, some from the neighboring island of Tagulandang, said Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the disaster mitigation agency.
About 1,500 people in the high-risk area need to be evacuated immediately, while nearly 12,000 others would be affected, he added. Officials also warned of the risk of a tsunami if part of the mountain collapses into the ocean below.
Huy Hoang (according to CNN, Reuters)
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