Mt Ruang eruption: Air quality in Sabah, Sarawak not affected so far, says MetMalaysia

PETALING JAYA: Air quality in Sabah and Sarawak has not been affected by the Mount Ruang volcanic eruption, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Its director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the surface air quality in Sabah and Sarawak was not affected based on observations of the air pollution index.

"The Ruang Volcano in North Sulawesi is 725m above sea level and first erupted on April 16 and affected flight operations in Sabah and Sarawak.

"The observed eruption reached heights of up to 55,000 feet and the dust cloud that formed can cause a safety risk to planes," he said in a statement on Thursday (April 18).

He said Indonesia has raised the volcanic eruption warning to Level 4 (Caution) and expects the volcano to continue to be active with further eruptions expected from time to time.

"MetMalaysia will continue to monitor the impact of the eruption on the country.

"The public is advised to always be aware of the information issued by MetMalaysia through its official website, the myCuaca application and its social media accounts," he said.