New Delhi: Volcano Mount Ruang, a remote volcano in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province erupted multiple times on Tuesday. Indonesia’s geological agency raised the highest level alert on the Island as the eruption blew clouds of ash, lava and rocks as high as five kilometres into the sky, read the local reports.
The eruptions led to the evacuation of over 6,000 people as Indonesia’s geological agency urged the residents living within a six-kilometre radius of Mount Ruang to evacuate. Indonesian authorities evacuation order comes after multiple eruptions, raising fears it could collapse into the sea and trigger a tsunami.
Officials have reported that Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Indonesia, situated approximately 95 kilometres southeast of the volcano, has ceased operations due to the reduced visibility and potential hazards that volcanic ash presents to aircraft engines.
It’s worth noting that this is the second eruption of Mount Ruang this month, which has resulted in the closure of Sam Ratulangi airport and the evacuation of hundreds of residents. Earlier in the month, a volcanic eruption on a remote island prompted Indonesia to issue a tsunami warning, leading to the displacement of over 11,000 people.
Indonesia’s susceptibility to volcanic and seismic events can be attributed to its position along the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean. This is a chain of seismic fault lines extending about 40,000 kilometres from the western shores of North and South America, through Japan and Southeast Asia.