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Agence France-Presse

Indonesian rescuers raced to evacuate thousands of people on Thursday after a volcano erupted five times, forcing authorities to close a nearby airport and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami.
The crater of Mount Ruang flamed with lava against a backdrop of lightning bolts overnight after erupting four times on Wednesday, forcing authorities to raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tiered system.
The volcano in Indonesia’s outermost region was still billowing a column of smoke on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to shut the nearest international airport in Manado city on Sulawesi island for 24 hours.
Houses on the neighbouring remote island of Tagulandang were riddled with holes from falling volcanic rocks, and residents were preparing to leave at least temporarily.
“The current condition, particularly the road condition, is covered by volcanic material,” local rescuer Ikram Al Ulah said.
“Currently, many people are still wandering around. Maybe to evacuate precious goods from their house.”
Anak Krakatoa tsunami was 100 metres high, say scientists
Authorities said they were rushing to evacuate 11,000 residents from the nearby area that included the remote island of Tagulandang, home to around 20,000 people.
Some residents were already trying to flee in a panic, according to officials.
“Last night people evacuated on their own but without direction due to the volcano’s eruption and materials in the form of small rocks that fell, so the people scattered to find evacuation routes,” Jandry Paendong, an official from the local search and rescue agency, said in a statement on Thursday.
He said 20 staff were helping evacuate residents along the coastline near the volcano on rubber boats.
Authorities also evacuated a prison on Tagulandang island, ferrying 17 inmates along with 11 officials and 19 residents by boat to Likupang seaport in northern Sulawesi island, according to Ikram.
The evacuation was requested by the prison chief because the facility sits directly across from the volcano, said the rescuer.
Tourists and residents were warned to remain outside a six-kilometre exclusion zone.

More than 800 people were initially taken to safety from Ruang to nearby Tagulandang island after the first eruption on Tuesday evening, before four more eruptions on Wednesday.
Paendong called for more boats and equipment, so his team could “carry out evacuation for people in the coast or near the coast” facing the volcano.
Authorities also warned of a possible tsunami as a result of the eruptions.
“The communities in Tagulandang island, particularly those living near the beach, [need] to be on alert for the potential ejection of incandescent rocks, hot clouds discharges and tsunami caused by the collapse of the volcano’s body into the sea,” Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia’s volcanology agency, said in a statement on Wednesday.


The authorities’ fears were compounded by previous experience.
In 2018, the crater of Mount Anak Krakatoa between Java and Sumatra islands partly collapsed when a major eruption sent huge chunks of the volcano sliding into the ocean, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
The impact of Mount Ruang’s eruption led to the closure of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city, located more than 100km (62 miles) from the volcano, for 24 hours until Thursday evening.

The airport runways were shut “due to the spread of volcanic ash which could endanger flight safety,” Ambar Suryoko, head of the Manado region airport authority office, said in a statement.
The airport hosts airlines that fly to Singapore and cities in South Korea and China.
“All flights … impacted because the airport is affected by the eruption of Mount Ruang, volcanic ash,” Dimas, 29-year-old airport officer in Manado said by phone.
Budget airline AirAsia also cancelled flights to and from nine airports in eastern Malaysia and Brunei until Friday morning “due to [the] Mount Ruang eruption”, it wrote on social media platform X.


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Indonesia

Mount Ruang eruption: Indonesia evacuates thousands, closes airport near volcano

Mount Ruang spewing hot lava and smoke in Sitaro, Indonesia, on April 17. Photo: PVMBK/AFP

Residents and members of the national search and rescue agency look at smoke and ash erupting from Mount Ruang in Sitaro, Indonesia, on April 17. Photo: EPA-EFE/BASARNAS

Mount Ruang spewing smoke in Sitaro on April 18. Photo: PVMBG/AFP

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A woman applies lip gloss. Southeast Asia’s boycotts of Israel-affiliated businesses have extended to beauty brands like L’Oréal. Photo: AP

Muslim protesters shout anti-Israel slogans at an al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally earlier this month outside the US embassy in Jakarta. Southeast Asia’s Muslim-majority nations are leading the region’s rebuttal against the assault on Gaza by boycotting global brands with alleged links to Israel. Photo: AP

A woman applies lip gloss. Southeast Asia’s boycotts of Israel-affiliated businesses have extended to beauty brands like L’Oreal. Photo: AP

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Indonesian protesters shout pro-Palestinian slogans at an Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally outside the US Embassy in Jakarta on April 5. Photo: AP

Tsunami from Anak Krakatoa eruption in Indonesia was 100 metres high, say scientists

An aerial picture showing Anak Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia erupting on December 23, 2018, which triggered a massive tsunami with waves of at least 100 metres high, according to researchers. Photo: AFP

epa07246206 (FILE) - A handout file photo made available by NASA on 23 December 2018 shows an image, acquired by the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) on the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Sentinel-2, of the Krakatau Islands as volcano Anak Krakatau (C, top) erupts volcanic ash and steam over the waters of the Sunda Strait, Indonesia, 22 September 2018. A tsunami that hit coastal areas on Indonesia's Sunda Straight on 22 December 2018, has killed at least 62 people and injured over 580 others. The Indonesian disaster management agency warned that the death toll is likely to rise. A possible cause of the seismic sea wave was believed to be undersea landslides related to Anak Krakatau's volcanic activity. The tsunami struck at around 21:30 local time (14:30GMT) on 22 December 2018. EPA-EFE/ESA/NASA HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

A plume of ash rises as Anak Krakatau erupts in Indonesia, December 23, 2018, in this picture obtained from social media. Susi Air/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Debris is seen from a damaged home on Carita beach on December 23, 2018, after the area was hit by a tsunami that may have been caused by the Anak Krakatoa volcano. - At least 43 people have been killed and nearly 600 injured in a tsunami in Indonesia that may have been caused by a volcano known as the "child" of the legendary Krakatoa, officials said on December 23. (Photo by Semi / AFP)

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The volcano erupted five times, prompting authorities to close the airport in Manado and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami
Tourists and residents were told to remain outside a six-kilometre exclusion zone


The volcano erupted five times, prompting authorities to close the airport in Manado and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami.


Volcanoes

Natural disasters

Aviation

Mount Ruang eruption: Indonesia evacuates thousands, closes airport near volcano

The volcano erupted five times, prompting authorities to close the airport in Manado and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami Tourists and residents were told to remain outside a six-kilometre exclusion zone

The volcano erupted five times, prompting authorities to close the airport in Manado and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami

Tourists and residents were told to remain outside a six-kilometre exclusion zone