After a series of eruptions over the past two days, Indonesian authorities have issued evacuation orders for over 11,000 residents near Mount Ruang, as concerns about a potential tsunami loom large. Mount Ruang, situated in the North Sulawesi Province, began erupting at 9:45 pm on Tuesday, with subsequent eruptions occurring the following day.
The volcanic activity prompted the volcanology agency to elevate the alert level to four, the highest on the scale, and expand the exclusion zone around the crater from four to six kilometers.
Initially, over 800 individuals were evacuated from Ruang to Tagulandang Island, located more than 100 kilometers north of Manado. However, officials announced on Thursday morning that additional evacuations would be necessary due to the widening risk zone, with residents being relocated to Manado.
Abdul Muhari, head of the disaster agency’s disaster data, communications, and information center, emphasized the urgency, stating that “at least 11,615 residents who are in the risk area must evacuate to a safe place.”
One of the chief concerns is the potential collapse of a section of the volcano into the sea, which could trigger a tsunami, akin to the event during Ruang’s eruption in 1871.
Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia’s geological agency, provided insight into the eruption’s magnitude, noting that the initial eruption sent an ash column two kilometers into the sky, with subsequent eruptions reaching heights of 2.5 kilometers. The increased volcanic activity follows recent earthquakes in the region.
Indonesia, situated along the “Ring of Fire,” a tectonic fault line prone to seismic activity, hosts approximately 120 active volcanoes. Memories of the 2018 tsunami triggered by Anak Krakatoa volcano’s eruption, resulting in hundreds of casualties along the coasts of Sumatra and Java, remain fresh in the minds of many.
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