On Monday, Indonesia’s Mount Ibu experiences another eruption occurred in eastern Indonesia, resulting in the release of a massive ash plume that reached a height of over five kilometers (approximately three miles) above the ground. This event took place after the local authorities had recently heightened the alert level to the second-highest category. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any harm or casualties so far. However, visual evidence displayed a towering column of ash ascending into the atmosphere above Halmahera island, located in the North Maluku province.
Indonesia’s Mount Ibu experiences another eruption
JAKARTA:The eruption of a volcano in eastern Indonesia occurred on Monday, releasing a massive ash column exceeding five kilometers (three miles) in height, following the escalation of its alert status to the second-highest level by authorities the previous week.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, however, photographs depicted a plume of ash rising into the sky above Halmahera island in North Maluku province.
According to officials, the eruption soared beyond the volcano’s summit, surpassing a distance of five kilometers. This eruption stands as one of the largest in recent months.
In a statement on Monday, Geology Agency head Muhammad Wafid reported that the ash column from the volcano appeared as a thick, grey-black plume leaning towards the west. Wafid emphasized the importance of wearing facemasks and glasses for nearby residents venturing outdoors to protect themselves from the falling volcanic ash.
The eruption, which occurred on Saturday, was relatively small in scale but resulted in the eruption of lava, the release of ash that reached several kilometers into the night sky, and even caused lightning. As a precautionary measure, the alert level remained at the second-highest level in a four-tiered system on Monday. Authorities had raised the alert level last week, establishing an exclusion zone of three to five kilometers (two to three miles) around the volcano’s crater.
Ibu, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, had a staggering record of over 21,000 eruptions last year. According to Geology Agency official Sofyan Primulyana, Ibu experienced an average of 58 eruptions per day in 2023.
Indonesia, being a vast archipelago nation, frequently encounters seismic and volcanic activities due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Just last month, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted multiple times, compelling thousands of residents from nearby islands to evacuate. The volcano remains at the highest alert level, leading to the permanent relocation of all approximately 800 residents of Ruang island.