27-5-2024 (JAKARTA) A Volcano on the Remote Indonesian Island of Halmahera Erupts, Spewing Ash Cloud Six Kilometres into the Sky
Indonesia’s volcanology agency has reported that a volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted on Monday, sending a grey ash cloud six kilometres (four miles) into the sky. The agency has issued a warning for aviation authorities managing local flights in the area.
This latest eruption follows a series of volcanic activity in the region throughout the month of May. Authorities had noticed an uptick in volcanic activity since April, leading to the evacuation of people from seven nearby villages.
“The ash column is seen to be thick and grey and moving westward,” the agency stated, adding that the eruption occurred at 3am local time (2am in Thailand). The agency has recommended that a 7km radius around the volcano be cleared.
Footage shared by the agency showed the volcano spewing ash, which grew thicker and eventually obscured the volcano entirely. The agency has also issued a “red” colour code warning to local aviation authorities, the highest level of warning due to the ash exceeding six kilometres in height.
The agency had previously raised the alert level of the volcano to the highest on its scale on May 16th.
Indonesia’s volcanology agency noted that Ibu’s activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in the country, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes.
Just earlier this month, flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active volcanoes in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11th, killing at least 62 people with 10 people still missing.
In recent weeks, North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano has also erupted, spewing incandescent lava. This eruption prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people on a nearby island.
