Jakarta (Agency): Several eruptions of the Ruang volcano in the region have forced at least 800 people to flee as ash and lava clouds have been shooting upwards for days, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the nation’s volcanology office.
Since Tuesday, the volcano on Ruang Island, which is around 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Manado, the province seat, has erupted more than three times.
An official at Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, told Reuters that as a result of the heightened activity, authorities have elevated the warning level to the second highest level.
The eruption of Mt. Ruang were triggered by recent earthquakes on the island, with the mountain emitting dangerous and “explosive hot clouds” as high as 1.8 km (1.1 miles) into the sky, she said.
“We must clear the island because we anticipate there could be more eruptions. No activity is allowed within four kilometres from the crater,” she said.
Reuters footage showed crimson lava flowing down the mountain, mirrored in the waterways below, and billowing clouds of grey ash over the crater.
According to Heruningtyas, Ruang Island has around 838 people, the most of whom have been evacuated to Tagulandang, the neighbouring island.
Indonesia is located in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” which is a seismically active area surrounded by many tectonic plate boundaries. (Courtesy: FirstPost)
