Jakarta:

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Monday, spewing a huge ash tower more than five kilometres (three miles) into the sky after authorities raised its alert level to the second-highest last week.

No damage or casualties were immediately reported but images showed a column of ash soaring into the sky on Halmahera island in North Maluku province.

Authorities said it reached more than five kilometres above the volcano’s peak, one of the biggest eruptions in recent months.

The grey-black ash column was observed with “thick intensity, leaning towards the west,” Geology Agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement Monday.

Wafid urged nearby residents to wear facemasks and glasses when going outdoors to protect against falling volcanic ash.

The volcano erupted on Saturday on a smaller scale, spewing lava, belching ash several kilometres into the night sky, and causing lightning.

The alert level remained at the second-highest of a four-tiered system on Monday after authorities raised it last week, with an exclusion zone between three and five kilometres (two to three miles) around the volcano’s crater.

Ibu is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanos, erupting more than 21,000 times last year.

Geology Agency official Sofyan Primulyana said Ibu recorded an average of 58 eruptions per day in 2023.

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 and it remains at the highest alert level.

All of the 800 or so residents of Ruang island will be permanently relocated.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jakarta:

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Wednesday and spewed an ash tower almost a mile into the sky, prompting officials to raise an alert level to the second-highest and warn people to keep away.

Mount Ibu, located on the island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, erupted at 11:11 am local time (0211 GMT) and sent a thick column of dark smoke and ash above the peak.

The volcano spewed an ash tower 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) above the peak, Indonesia’s volcanology agency (PVMBG) said.

“Based on the results of visual and instrumental monitoring… Mount Ibu’s activity level has been raised from level two to level three” of a four-tiered system, said PVMBG chief Hendra Gunawan in a statement Wednesday.

Authorities formed an exclusion zone between three and five kilometres around the volcano’s crater.

Hendra urged nearby residents to wear face masks and glasses when doing outdoor activities and to prepare for falling volcanic ash.

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.

It erupted again last week and remains at the highest alert level of a four-tiered system.

All of the 800 or so residents of Ruang island have been permanently relocated.

The Sam Ratulangi International Airport in the city of Manado, located more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the crater, was shut for days because of volcanic ash. It has since re-opened.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)