Indonesia issues tsunami alert as Ruang Mountain erupts; major airports suspend flights

Indonesia witnessed a dramatic volcanic eruption on a remote island in the North Sulawesi province, triggering authorities to issue a tsunami alert. The eruption at Ruang Mountain propelled a fiery column of lava, incandescent rock, and ash soaring up to three kilometers into the sky.

Jakarta: Indonesian officials sounded the alarm on Wednesday as eruptions at Ruang Mountain propelled ash thousands of feet into the air, prompting a tsunami warning. Evacuation orders were issued for over 11,000 individuals as volcanic activity escalated.

In the past 24 hours alone, the volcano on the northern tip of Sulawesi Island has experienced at least five significant eruptions, according to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. Consequently, authorities raised the volcano alert to its highest level.

Hundreds of residents evacuated the area earlier in the day

Indonesia, home to 120 active volcanoes across its archipelago of 270 million people, sits along the notorious “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped belt of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities urged tourists and locals alike to maintain a safe distance of at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378-foot) Ruang volcano. Concerns loom over the potential collapse of part of the volcano into the sea, reminiscent of a tsunami-triggering event in 1871.

Tagulandang Island to the volcano’s northeast is once again under threat, with residents instructed to evacuate. Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency announced plans to relocate residents to Manado, the nearest city on Sulawesi Island, a six-hour boat journey away.

Flight operations disrupted

Transport authorities swiftly closed Manado’s airport to shield against ash showers from the eruption. Following aviation authorities’ safety warnings, budget airline Air Asia cancelled flights at nine airports in East Malaysia and Brunei.

Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the disaster mitigation agency, disclosed ongoing efforts to evacuate more residents, including those from the neighboring Tagulandang Island, as officials cordoned off a six-kilometer (4-mile) radius around the volcano.

In 2018, Indonesia witnessed the devastating repercussions of the Anak Krakatau volcano’s eruption, which triggered a tsunami along Sumatra and Java’s coasts, claiming 430 lives.