Indonesian authorities have begun evacuating at least 3,000 residents living near the Mount Ibu volcano on the eastern island of Halmahera, the country’s volcanology agency said on Thursday (16), after an eruption this week spread an ash cloud. thick for up to four km across the sky.
Mount Ibu erupted on Wednesday morning for about two minutes, the agency explained, forcing authorities to raise the alert level in the surrounding areas to the most severe level.
Evacuations began on Wednesday for around 3,000 residents of the area who were being prioritized due to their proximity to the volcano, Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the country’s disaster mitigation agency, told Reuters.
“We are planning to empty six villages, starting with Soa Sangaji village. We prioritize the elderly, pregnant women and babies”, said Irfan Idrus, head of Emergency and Logistics at the Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Ibu’s activities follow a series of eruptions from different volcanoes in Indonesia, which lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes.
This content was originally published in Three thousand residents leave their homes after volcano eruption in Indonesia on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil

Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.