- In Indonesia, the authorities have issued the highest alert level – because the Ruang volcano north of the island of Sulawesi has erupted again.
- The volcano ejected a 2,000 meter high column of ash, smoke and rock into the sky – accompanied by earthquakes.
- This is what the National Agency for Geology says.
Residents within a six-kilometer radius of the crater were asked to immediately seek safety and wear masks. A significant increase in both very deep and shallow volcanic earthquakes has been recorded, the agency writes. This indicates magma migration from deep reservoirs to the surface.
People in the region should be alert to possible pyroclastic flows – flows of hot ash, rock and gas – as well as tsunamis, which could be caused by boulders falling into the sea or the collapse of the entire volcanic body.
There is a threat of a tsunami
There have been eruptions on Ruang since mid-April. The volcano spewed clouds of ash and rock up to 3,000 meters high several times. Air traffic in the region was partially suspended. Last week, however, the alert level was initially lowered after the Ruang calmed down somewhat.
Legend:
Two weeks ago, parts of the volcanic island threatened to collapse into the sea. (Image: 04/19/24)
REUTERS/Chermanto Tjaombah TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
According to the state Center for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), eruptions could cause the flanks of a volcano or, in the worst case, the entire mountain to collapse – triggering tsunamis with meter-high tidal waves and devastating consequences.
In 1871, an eruption of Ruang triggered a tsunami with waves up to 25 meters high. Around 400 people died on the neighboring island of Tagulandang, five kilometers away. The world’s largest island state, Indonesia, lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently along this belt. There are about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.