Indonesia's Ruang volcano spews more lava; schools, airports shut | Updates

Renewed eruptions of grey smoke continued from Indonesia's Ruang volcano, pelting the region with volcanic debris and triggering another round of evacuations from Tagulandang island.

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Ruang volcano which erupted on Tuesday, spewed fresh lava and more hot clouds that prompted authorities to evacuate over 12,000 people from the Tagulandang island and ordered flight cancellations and airport closures, reported news agency Reuters.

After the fresh eruptions, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), issued the highest level alert, warning that a tsunami could be triggered by “volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.” It has also urged the island residents to stay at least 7 km (4 miles) from the volcano’s crater.

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As per the footage shared by the National Search and Rescue Agency, residents from about a hundred villages have been evacuated on a navy ship, while several hundred others are waiting to be rescued.

Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said that around 11,000 to 12,000 people living within a 7-kilometre vicinity would be taken to government shelters. "Personnel of Manado Search and Rescue Agency are evacuating 109 Tagulandang residents to Munte port, while hundreds are still waiting in Minanga port to be evacuated," the agency said in a statement as reported by Reuters.

Mount Ruang, which had earlier erupted in mid-April, disrupted over 200 flights on April 18 and 19 and affecting tens of thousands of passengers. Tuesday's eruption peppered several villages with ash, grit and rocks. It also forced closures of at least seven airports in the vicinity, including the Sam Ratulangi International Airport that serves Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, and nearby schools have also been shut to protect children from volcanic ash.

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Mount Ruang, a 725-meter (2,400-foot) volcano on Ruang island, North Sulawesi, is among about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. The archipelagic nation is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.

(With inputs from agencies)

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