After repeated eruptions, parts of a volcanic island in Indonesia are at risk of collapsing into the sea. Authorities have warned of the danger of a possible tsunami, which has already happened in the past.
Following the eruption of the Ruang volcano in Indonesia, the authorities have declared the highest level of alert and warned of a possible tsunami. Several strong eruptions have been recorded on the volcanic island in the Sangihe archipelago north of Sulawesi in the past two days. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Control (PVMBG) warned of the potential collapse of volcanic fragments into the sea, which could trigger high tidal waves. Thousands of people have been evacuated.
On Wednesday, the 725-meter-high volcano hurled clouds of ash and rock up to 3,000 meters into the air. A six-kilometer-long exclusion zone was imposed around the crater. The spokesman for disaster management, Abdul Muhari, reported that ash and rocks had also fallen on the island of Tagulandang, five kilometers away, injuring residents there.
Volcanic eruptions are not uncommon
Volcanic eruptions are not uncommon in Indonesia. On Thursday, the airport in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, was closed as a precaution. According to the newspaper "The Borneo Post", flights between the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and the states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo were also canceled, as reported by Malaysia Airlines.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur frequently there. The Ruang volcano caused a violent tsunami more than 150 years ago. 400 people lost their lives in the natural disaster in 1871.