Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupts again, alert status at highest

AFP

Indonesia's Ruang volcano off the island of Sulawesi erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash and lava, after an eruption earlier this month led to hundreds of evacuations and an airport closure.

The country's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) raised the alert level to the highest following the morning eruption, urging residents not to get near the volcano, according to its website.

The island of Ruang in the province of North Sulawesi is home to more than 800 residents, most of whom have been evacuated following the eruption earlier this month. It was not immediately clear how many more were evacuated on Tuesday.

The country's disaster mitigation agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Footage on social media on Tuesday, which Reuters could not immediately authenticate, showed lava flowing down the volcano, which is about 100 km from the provincial capital Manado.

Transport authorities temporarily closed Manado's airport after the eruption earlier this month, while falling rocks and ash damaged homes and forced a nearby hospital to evacuate.

Authorities downgraded the status level to level 3 last week before bumping it up again to level 4 on Tuesday.

Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.

More from International

  • Australia passes social media ban for children under 16

    Australia on Thursday passed into law a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.

  • 17 killed as Israel ups bombing in Gaza

    Israeli military strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, medics said, as forces stepped up bombardments on central areas and pushed tanks deeper in the north and south of the enclave.

  • Israeli tank fires on south Lebanon

    Israeli tank fire hit six areas in southern Lebanon on Thursday and the Israeli military said its ceasefire with Hezbollah was breached after what it called suspects, some in vehicles, arrived at several areas in the southern zone.

  • Landslides in Indonesia's Sumatra kill at least 27

    Indonesian rescuers are searching for passengers trapped in a minibus buried in mud after flash floods and landslides hit several locations in North Sumatra province, killing at least 27, an official said on Thursday.

  • Syrian armed group makes first advance in years

    Syrian armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on regime forces in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria on Wednesday, seizing territory in the first such advance in years, army and rebel sources said.

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

  • The Agenda

    10:00am - 1:00pm

    Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!