Indonesian authorities ordered the evacuation of thousands of people on Thursday after the Ruang volcano in the country’s North Sulawesi province erupted multiple times, triggering a tsunami warning and blankets of falling volcanic ash and rocks.
In this photo released by Sitaro Regional Disaster Management Agency, hot molten lava glows at the ... [+]
According to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation—which raised its alert level to its highest Level IV—Ruang has erupted at least five times in the previous 24 hours.
The repeated explosions have raised concerns about a portion of the volcano collapsing into the sea and triggering a tsunami.
This has prompted authorities to order the evacuation of more than 11,000 people from areas surrounding the volcano, including parts of Tagulandang island, which is home to more than 22,000 people.
Tourists and residents have been asked to remain alert and not enter a 6 km radius around the volcano’s active crater.
The nearest international airport in the city of Manado has been shut down for 24 hours, as large columns of smoke and ash continued to billow from the volcano.
This is a developing story.