The eruption of the Ruang volcano in Indonesia, which began on Wednesday night, activated alerts for a possible tsunami in the Southeast Asian country.
Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) ordered a six-kilometer safety radius from the volcano on Tagulandang Island, so thousands of people were evacuated.
The eruption of the mountain, located in the Sulawesi Islands archipelago, generated a 24-meter-high tsunami in 1871 that killed about 400 people.
The PVMBG pointed out that Mount Ruang eruption will remain active for hoursso there is also a risk of earthquakes occurring.
The BBC Indonesian service indicates that they are registering ash fall and pyroclastic activity in the area surrounding the mountain.
About 800 people were evacuated by authorities overnight.
The National Disaster Management Agency said it will have to evacuate about 11,000 residents due to the level 4 alert that was issued.
“We’re running away!” said a witness who filmed the eruption as he rushed to evacuate. “We are escaping because the ash is approaching.”
Alert status
PVMBG officials reported this Thursday that the eruption of Mount Ruang occurred on Wednesday around 9:15 p.m. local. It was “very sudden and rapid in its escalation,” they said.
Previously, there were several dozen tectonic movements since last week, which activated the alerts of experts.
“We raised the status of Mount Ruang on April 16, 2024 at 10:00, including a risk recommendation up to a safety radius of two kilometers from the center of activity of the mountain,” said Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, head of volcanology. the PVMGB.
Then, on April 16, a weak eruption occurred, but activity increased to the explosive point on Wednesday night.
The PVMBG seismograph recorded continuous eruptions and earthquakes accompanied by roars and lightning.
The Ruang, which has a altitude of 725 metersrecorded a type of explosive eruption that has the potential to produce hot clouds and ejecta of incandescent rocks up to a height of 3,000 meters.
The activity was captured in several photos and videos that have circulated on social networks, with red lava expelled at high altitude and the appearance of multiple lightning bolts.
Tsunami possibility
On Wednesday, the PVMBG raised the alert again after a large eruption in the early hours of the morning.
This, the agency said, has the potential to cause a tsunami that could occur if material from the mountain falls en masse into the sea.
Since the evening there have been evacuations of the inhabitants of Ruang Island and the west side of Tagulandang Island. There was a fall of rocks on Tagulandang Island that damaged the roofs of houses.
Sand rain also hit the west side of Tagulandang Island, causing fear among residents in the area. The local hospital and a correctional center were also affected and their residents had to be evacuated.
The country suffered the devastating eruption of Ruang in 1871, which caused a tsunami up to 24 meters high that killed around 400 people.
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