A volcano has erupted in Indonesia!
Mount Ruang in the country’s North Sulawesi province has erupted four times since Tuesday.
The mouth of the volcano has opened and the lava flow has spread in the adjacent area. It is observed from a distance by the locals – the sky is covered with black smoke of the volcano. Spectacular videos of volcanic lightning and cloud explosions on weather satellite maps have surfaced, including a video showing volcanic lightning, which is more frequent and fleeting than lightning strikes occurring in a thunderstorm.
Volcanic lightning is not well understood, but it can be spectacular. As of Wednesday morning, more than 4,000 lightning strikes had been detected around Ruang.
Citizens evacuated
According to the local administration, around 11,000 people have been evacuated from the adjacent areas.
Most of the island’s 800 residents were evacuated to nearby Tagulandang Island amid fears it could trigger a tsunami.
Tourists have been told to maintain a distance of at least 6 km from Mount Ruang. Indonesia’s “Center for Volcanology” and “Geological Disaster Management” have already issued warnings to the entire country about the eruption. A tsunami warning has also been issued in that country on Wednesday.
How did the eruption unfold?
The first eruption of this volcano took place on 16 April. After that, there have been a total of four explosions till Wednesday. Later, late on the night of 17th April, there was a terrible explosion.
Lava flows can be seen up to a height of about 1000 feet. Indonesia’s disaster management agency immediately evacuated about 11,000 residents to the nearby city of Manado.
However, some geologists think that the danger is not over yet. There were two earthquakes in Indonesia recently.
As a result, they believe that this eruption is due to the loss of elasticity of the two underground layers. Incidentally, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its geographical location. The island nation has a total of 120 active volcanoes.
Fears and possibilities
This volcano had previously erupted with such intensity in 1871 followed by a terrible tsunami that claimed the lives of about 400 people. Scientists are worried that after this explosion, this volcano might sink into the sea. That means it will become an undersea volcano in the future. Videos and photos of its explosion are going viral on social media.
Scientists fear that the intensity of the eruption of this volcano may be above 4 or 5, i.e. the highest level as was the case of Hunga Tonga volcano in 2022 – due to which the entire earth was affected. Shockwave ran across the entire earth twice.
The chemicals coming out of Ruang Volcano will be investigated. At present, scientists are waiting for its explosion to stop. This volcano is continuously erupting, the pictures of which are extremely horrifying. Local authorities have cordoned off a six-kilometer perimeter around the volcano as a precaution.
Govt ramping up efforts
The Indonesian transport ministry ordered the closure of the nearest international airport.
Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city was shut down for 24 hours due to volcanic ash.
Ambar Suryoko, head of the airport authority office, pointed that the closing was necessary to ensure flight safety, with Mount Ruang located over 100 kilometers away.
The airport in Manado, the provincial capital, has been closed to protect against the ash showers from the eruption. Air Asia, a budget airline, has cancelled flights to nine airports in East Malaysia and Brunei due to the safety threat warned by the authorities.
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