Tsunami alert as Indonesia 'Ring of Fire' volcano spectacularly erupts
- Tuesday’s eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier this month
Indonesia’s Ruang volcano spectacularly erupted this morning, spewing explosive incandescent lava into the night sky and prompting authorities to warn of a possible tsunami.
Stunning footage shared by Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency showed strikes of lightning flashing above Ruang’s crater, as fiery red clouds of lava and rocks were projected into the air and rained down around the island.
The agency said the eruption column reached three miles high, and urged any remaining residents within a four-mile radius to immediately evacuate, warning of possible further ‘explosive eruptions’.
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) also warned residents living on Tagulandang island – the island closest to the volcano – that a tsunami could be triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
The warning was issued on Tuesday morning, with PVMBG official Hetty Triastuty saying it remained in place as of the afternoon.
Indonesia straddles the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire,’ an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.
Ruang is just one of about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
An eruption from Mount Ruang volcano is seen from Tagulandang island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 30, 2024
The Ruang volcano spews incandescent lava and volcanic ash during an eruption in the Sitaro Islands, North Sulawesi, Indonesia on April 30, 2024
Footage shared by Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency showed strikes of lightning flashing above Ruang’s crater
The Ruang volcano spews incandescent lava and volcanic ash during an eruption in the Sitaro Islands as residents look on in shock and awe
Ash, grit and rock fell from the sky in towns and cities across the region, including Manado, where motorists had to switch on their headlights during the daytime following the early-morning eruption.
‘It was dark with rocks raining at the post from the eruption,’ said Yulius Ramopolii, head of the Mount Ruang monitoring post.
‘The vibrations were intense and knocked out power, and volcanic earthquakes shook the glass windows and everything around us.’
He said the eruption blocked the sun and peppered several villages with falling debris, though no casualties have yet been reported.
Ruang island is about 60 miles from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in the north-central region of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago.
It is home to more than 800 residents, most of whom evacuated following a series of smaller eruptions earlier this month.
The eruption corresponded with a spike in seismic activity and deep volcanic earthquakes, the disaster agency said.
Authorities closed Manado’s Sam Ratulangi airport again on Tuesday, citing the possible spread of volcanic ash, the airport operator said in an Instagram post.
The airport will remain closed until noon on Wednesday, the transport ministry said.
The disaster mitigation agency raised the alert status of Ruang to the highest level following the early morning eruption, urging residents not to go near the volcano.
Tuesday’s eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier this month that forced hundreds to evacuate, and the airport in the provincial capital of Manado to close.
Those incidents also caused damage to some homes and saw more than 11,000 people evacuated.
Mount Ruang volcano erupts in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19, 2024
Tuesday’s eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier this month that forced hundreds to evacuate, and the airport in the provincial capital of Manado to close
Mount Ruang spewing hot lava and smoke as seen from Sitaro, North Sulawesi, April 17, 2024
Hot lava flows from Mount Ruang volcano during an eruption in Sitaro, North Sulawesi province, Indonesia, April 17, 2024
Earlier this month, authorities were forced to close a nearby airport and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami
Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has around 130 active volcanoes.
It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.
The last major eruption of Mount Ruang occurred in 2002.
That caused damage to nearby settlements and also required the evacuation of thousands of residents.
Meanwhile in 2018, the crater of Mount Anak Krakatoa between Indonesia’s Java and Sumatra islands partly collapsed when a major eruption sent huge chunks of the volcano sliding into the ocean.
The disturbance triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands.
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