Mount Ibu spews kilometres of volcanic ash into the air during its eruption as seen from Gam Ici village in West Halmahera, North Maluku, on May 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

“Hundreds of people living near an erupting volcano in eastern Indonesia have been evacuated after authorities raised its alert status to the highest level,” an official said on May 17.

Authorities raised the alert status for Mount Ibu, located on remote Halmahera island, to the highest level of a four-tiered system on May 16 after recording two huge eruptions for the second day in a row.

“Residents in seven villages near Ibu — which spewed ash and smoke 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) into the sky — began evacuating to several shelters late Thursday after authorities raised the alert status,” local disaster mitigation agency official Muhammad Ade Fabanyo told AFP.

“Until today, the evacuees continue to arrive and as of this morning, the preliminary data that we have is around 400 people (evacuated),” Mr. Ade said on Friday.

He said the evacuation was a “preventive” measure taken by authorities since the residents were living around 7km (4.3 miles) from the volcano — within the exclusion zone set by officials.

Ibu erupted again on Friday morning, spewing a tower of volcanic ash 4,000 metres above its peak, the country’s geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement.

Authorities advised residents and tourists to stay out of the four-to-seven-kilometre exclusion zone and to wear a face mask in case of falling ash. Ibu is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanos, erupting more than 21,000 times last year.

More than 7,00,000 people lived on Halmahera island as of 2022, according to official figures. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

Last month, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing thousands of residents of nearby islands to evacuate. Its status has since been lowered to the second-highest alert level.

A column of ash rises over the Gunung Ibu (Mount Ibu) volcano, in Tabaru, North Maluku province, Indonesia May 13, 2024. Screengrab
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Indonesia’s Ibu volcano erupted on May 13 morning, spewing thick columns of grey ash several kilometres into the sky, the country’s volcanology agency said.

The volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted at 9.12 a.m. (0012 GMT) for about five minutes, projecting ash into the sky as high as 5 km (3.1 miles), officials said. A smaller eruption was also recorded on May 10.

The alert status of the volcano remains at the second-highest level, Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre, said in a statement.

All activities within a five-kilometre radius of the volcano were prohibited, he added.

“If it starts to rain ash, we recommend people who are near the volcano to wear a mask and glasses,” Mr. Gunawan said.

Footage of the eruption shared by the centre showed clouds of grey ash billowing from the crater. The official said a booming noise was also heard. No evacuation of residents has been reported so far.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.

In recent weeks North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano has erupted, spewing incandescent lava as lightning flashed from its crater. The eruption prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people living on a nearby island.

In December, more than 20 people were killed after Marapi volcano, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes, erupted and belched grey clouds of ash as high as 3 km.