Hundreds flee after Ruang volcano erupts

At least 800 people in the North Sulawesi province have been evacuated after multiple eruptions of the area’s Ruang volcano, which for days has spewed lava and ash clouds into the sky, the country’s volcanology agency said.

The volcano, located on Ruang island about 100km from the provincial capital Manado, has erupted more than three times since Tuesday.

Authorities have raised the alert level to the second highest level following the increased activity, Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, an official at Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, said.

The eruptions of Mt Ruang were triggered by recent earthquakes on the island, with the mountain emitting dangerous and “explosive hot clouds” as high as 1.8km into the sky, she said yesterday.

“We must clear the island because we anticipate there could be more eruptions.

“No activity has been allowed within 4km from the crater,” she said. — Reuters