Mount Ruang erupts again in Indonesia, littering nearby towns

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MANADO, Indonesia (AP) — Mount Ruang erupted again Tuesday in Indonesia for the second time in two weeks, spewing ash nearly two kilometers (more than a mile) high, shutting down an airport and wreaking havoc. nearby locations of debris.

The Indonesian geological agency once again raised the alert for the volcano on the island of Sulawesi to its highest level after sensors captured an uptick in its activity. He also asked residents and climbers to stay at least six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the crater.

The 725-meter (2,378-foot) high volcano, located in North Sulawesi province, is about 95 km (59 miles) northeast of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, the provincial capital.

The airport closed Tuesday morning due to poor visibility and the danger posed by ash to airplane engines, said Ambar Suryoko, director of the regional airport authority.

Ash, gravel and rocks fell in towns and cities across the region, including in Manado, a city of more than 430,000 people where drivers had to turn on their headlights in broad daylight.

“It was dark and rocks were raining down on the post because of the eruption,” said Yulius Ramopolii, director of the Mount Ruang lookout post. “The vibrations were intense and cut off the electricity, and the volcanic earthquakes shook the windows of the posts and everything. around us”.

The eruption blocked the sun and dumped debris on several towns. No victims have been reported, Ramopolii said.

More than 11,000 people had been evacuated after the eruption on April 17, when authorities warned that a large eruption could collapse part of the volcano into the sea and cause a tsunami that would threaten nearby towns.

Fewer than 3,000 remained in temporary shelters after the government lowered its alert level to the second-highest of four levels and reopened the airport four days ago.

The Indonesian geological agency on Tuesday warned the population of Tagulandang island, especially those living near the coast, of possible clouds of volcanic ash and a tsunami due to the arrival of material from the eruption into the sea or the collapse of the volcanic dome in the sea.

Ruang is one of around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people prone to volcanic activity as it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic faults that circle the Pacific Ocean.

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Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta contributed to this report.