Indonesia ordered thousands of people to evacuate after the volcanic Mount Ruang erupted on Wednesday, sending ash two miles into the sky and prompting concerns about a potential tsunami.
The Asian archipelago's Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation raised its volcano alert system to its highest level after five large eruptions rocked the island of Sulawesi over a period of 24 hours.
In Indonesia, the airport on the island of Sulawesi was closed amid the eruption of the Ruang volcano
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 18, 2024
About 30 thousand people are being evacuated. Eyewitnesses publish footage of lightning striking the volcano at night. pic.twitter.com/yShMsRi1Ik
More than 800 people had already been evacuated before authorities widened the radius of impacted individuals. A provincial airport was also closed, according to Reuters.
Eruptions at the Ruang volcano in Indonesia sent ash thousands of feet high and led to the evacuation of thousands of people. https://t.co/aCFQtNmfUY pic.twitter.com/cDIGwKLunf — NBC News (@NBCNews) April 18, 2024
"The potential for further eruption is still high, so we need to remain alert," agency official Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari said on Thursday, according to Reuters. Purnamasari reportedly attributed the urgency of the evacuation to the quick escalation of local volcanic activity.
BREAKING - Ruang volcano erupts in Indonesia, lava flows, hundreds evacuated pic.twitter.com/bpjpmXoz3Z
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 17, 2024
Officials are also concerned that the mountain could collapse into the ocean, causing a tsunami. This previously occurred in 1871 and left an estimated 400 people dead.
The night sky glowed red and flashed with lightning as Indonesia's Mount Ruang volcano erupted Wednesday evening, forcing hundreds to evacuate. pic.twitter.com/7bwUhi2Bt7
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) April 17, 2024
