Indonesia: Tsunami ALERT Issued After Ruang Volcano Erupts, Thousands Asked To Evacuate

Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning on April 17 following eruptions at Ruang mountain, which propelled ash thousands of feet into the air. More than 11,000 individuals were instructed to evacuate the affected area. The volcano, located on the northern side of Sulawesi island, experienced at least five significant eruptions within the last 24 hours, as reported by Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. Consequently, authorities raised the volcano alert status to its highest level.

Earlier in the day, approximately 800 residents had already evacuated the area. Indonesia, a nation comprising 270 million people, is home to 120 active volcanoes. Its susceptibility to volcanic activity is attributed to its location along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped network of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

Officials advised both tourists and locals to maintain a distance of at least 6 km (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378-foot) Ruang volcano. Concerns arise over the potential collapse of part of the volcano into the sea, which could trigger a tsunami, similar to the eruption that occurred in 1871.

Residents of Tagulandang island, situated northeast of the volcano, are also at risk and are included in the evacuation orders. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency of Indonesia announced plans to relocate affected residents to Manado, the nearest city on Sulawesi island, a journey that takes approximately six hours by boat. In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano resulted in a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java, claiming the lives of 430 individuals, after portions of the mountain collapsed into the ocean.

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