Indonesian authorities on Wednesday ordered hundreds of residents to evacuate after multiple eruptions of a volcano on a remote island, raising fears it could collapse into the sea and trigger a tsunami.
Mount Ruang, a 725-meter-high volcano on Ruang Island in North Sulawesi, has erupted at least five times since Tuesday night, spewing lava and ash clouds thousands of meters into the air, said the country's volcanology agency.
Agency chief Hendra Gunawan said authorities have raised the volcano's alert to the highest level, warning people not to go within 6 kilometers of the peak due to fears that Mount Ruang could partially collapse into the water and cause a tsunami, as it did in 1871.
“The strength of Mount Ruang's eruption is increasing and has emitted hot clouds approximately 1.7 kilometers long,” he told national news agency Antara, adding that the eruptions were triggered by recent earthquakes in the area.
Mount Ruang is a stratovolcano, typically conical and with relatively steep sides due to the formation of viscous, sticky lava that does not flow easily.
Stratovolcanoes often produce explosive eruptions due to the accumulation of gas in magma, according to volcanologists.
Dramatic images of Wednesday's eruptions show plumes of ash rising into the sky and glowing lava flows, accompanied by lightning. The images also show residents being evacuated.
Ruang Island is home to about 800 residents, who have temporarily moved to nearby Tagulandang Island, according to authorities.
People in Tagulandang should watch out for falling red-hot rocks and the appearance of hot clouds, authorities warned. No casualties were reported.
Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago with 270 million people, has more than 120 active volcanoes – more than anywhere else in the world. It lies along the Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean.
In 2018, the eruption of Anak Krakatau, in Indonesia, caused it to fall into the sea, triggering a tsunami that hit the coasts of the main islands of Java and Sumatra, killing more than 400 people.
Source: CNN Brasil
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