Because parts of the volcanic island are now in danger of falling into the sea due to the eruptions, the highest alert level was declared and thousands of residents on the island as well as residents in the west and southwest of the neighboring island of Tagulandang were brought to safety. The authorities set up an exclusion zone within a six-kilometer radius. Volcanic eruptions have the potential to trigger devastating tsunamis, said a spokesman for the state Center for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), according to the Indonesian news agency Antara. These would be caused if the flanks of the volcano – or in the worst case the entire mountain – collapsed. Meter-high tidal waves are among the possible consequences.
The Ruang volcano during an eruption on Thursday. Image: Key
Authorities are warning people near the coast to be careful as glowing rocks could fall into the sea. According to the disaster control spokesman, residents of Tagulandang have already been injured by falling ash and stones.
The airport in Manado, the provincial capital of North Sulawesi, was closed on Thursday. As the airlines Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air announced, flights between the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and the states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo as well as other connections in the region were also canceled.
The last eruption was over 20 years ago
It would not be the first time that an eruption of Ruang was followed by a tsunami. In 1871 an eruption triggered a tsunami up to 25 meters high. Around 400 people died on the neighboring island of Tagulandang, five kilometers away. The volcano’s last eruption was over 20 years ago: in 2002, a huge column of ash rose from the volcano. “As far as the tsunami threat is concerned, we have learned from history,” said Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards (PVMBG).