Indonesia’s Ruang volcano roared to life on Tuesday, spewing lava and lighting up the sky with flashes of lightning in its crater. This dramatic event prompted authorities to raise the alert status and evacuate over 12,000 people from a nearby island.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) had earlier warned residents of Tagulandang island about the potential for a tsunami triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
Despite the warning issued on Tuesday morning, the alert status remained high throughout the afternoon. The PVMBG raised Ruang’s alert level to the maximum following the eruption, cautioning residents to steer clear of the volcano.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) swiftly mobilized, relocating all 843 residents of Ruang island, where the volcano is situated, to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Meanwhile, residents of Tagulandang island were evacuated to Siau island to the north.
This eruption comes on the heels of earlier volcanic activity earlier in the month, which also led to evacuations and the closure of Manado’s airport. The volcanology agency had previously issued warnings about potential tsunamis during that period.
Videos shared by Indonesia’s disaster agency captured the intense scene: lightning streaking across Ruang’s crater, while fiery clouds of lava and rocks shot into the air, raining down on the island.
According to the volcanology agency, the eruption column soared to a height of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), prompting urgent evacuations within a 7-kilometer radius due to the risk of further explosive eruptions.
Ruang island lies approximately 100 kilometers from Manado, the provincial capital, in the north-central region of Indonesia. The eruption coincided with a surge in seismic activity and deep volcanic earthquakes, according to the disaster agency.
In response to the potential spread of volcanic ash, authorities closed Sam Ratulangi airport in Manado once again on Tuesday. The airport is expected to remain shuttered until noon on Wednesday, as confirmed by the transport ministry.
After briefly downgrading the alert status last week, authorities raised it back to level 4 on Tuesday. Indonesia, situated along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” experiences heightened seismic activity due to the convergence of multiple tectonic plates in the region.
