In the remotest part of Indonesia, a volcano erupts, forcing hundreds to flee
In Indonesia’s most remote area, a volcano erupted many times throughout the night on Wednesday, displacing hundreds of residents and sending smoke and lava shooting more than a mile into the sky.
According to the nation’s volcanology and geological organizations, Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano in North Sulawesi Province, erupted twice in the early hours of Wednesday, the first time at 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday (1345 GMT).
More than 800 people were evacuated from two villages on Ruang island to the neighboring island of Tagulandang; no fatalities or injuries were recorded, according to official news agency Antara.
According to a statement from Muhammad Wafid, the chairman of the geological service, the initial eruption sent an ash column two kilometers (1.2 miles) into the sky, while the second explosion pushed it up to 2.5 kilometers.
Following two earthquakes in recent weeks, the volcanology service said on Tuesday that there has been a rise in volcanic activity in Ruang.
Prior to the eruption, the volcano’s alert level was upgraded from two to three, the second-highest category, with a peak elevation of 725 meters above sea level.
A four-kilometer exclusion zone has also been enforced by the authorities surrounding the crater, which is located more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Manado, the regional seat.
Because Indonesia is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc formed by the collision of tectonic plates that spans the Pacific basin and extends from Japan to Southeast Asia, the country is subject to regular seismic and volcanic activity.
