Mount Ruang, located off the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, erupted once again on Tuesday, 30 April, spewing ash and lava into the air. This recent eruption comes after a series of volcanic activities earlier in the month, which led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents and the closure of nearby airports.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) immediately raised the alert level to its highest following the morning eruption.
Residents were urged to stay away from the volcano due to the high risk.
About Mount Ruang
The island of Ruang, situated in the province of North Sulawesi, is home to over 800 people, most of whom had already been evacuated after the earlier eruptions. However, it was not immediately clear how many additional residents were evacuated on Tuesday.
Impact on Transportation
Footage circulating on social media showed lava flowing down the volcano, which is approximately 100 kilometres from the provincial capital, Manado. Transport authorities had to temporarily close Manado’s airport after the earlier eruptions, as falling rocks and ash posed a threat to aviation safety and damaged nearby infrastructure.
Last Eruption
The Indonesian disaster mitigation agency had downgraded the alert status to level 3 last week, but it was raised back to level 4 following the recent eruption. Mount Ruang’s activity is closely monitored due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its high seismic and volcanic activity.
The latest eruption prompted immediate evacuations and the closure of Sam Ratulangi International airport in Manado, situated more than 100 kilometres away from the volcano. AirNav Indonesia, the state-run air traffic control provider, issued a notice citing “Ruang volcanic ash” as the reason for the airport closure.
Mount Ruang’s volcanic activity has had significant effects on the local community. Only some of the 800 people evacuated earlier had returned home after the emergency response status ended, only to have to evacuate again.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have advised residents to adhere to evacuation orders and safety precautions.
[ERUPSI G. RUANG, KABUPATEN SITARO, SULAWESI UTARA. 30 APRIL 2024)
Rekomendasi radius bahaya erupsi G. Ruang diperluas sesuai rekomendasi Level IV (AWAS) terkini sebagai berikut: pic.twitter.com/dbcsC3PrVg— PVMBG (@PVMBG_) April 30, 2024
