Indonesia evacuates 12,000 people, tsunami warning due to volcanic eruption

Eruptions at Indonesia's Mount Ruang volcano have closed seven airports and sent ash as far as Malaysia, officials said. Thousands of people have been evacuated due to tsunami fears.

Ruang volcano is erupting violently. Photo: Antara

The Indonesian National Meteorological Agency (BMKG) released a map on the morning of May 1 showing that volcanic ash had spread as far as East Malaysia on the island of Borneo, where the borders of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei meet. According to an announcement from state air traffic control service provider AirNav Indonesia, the spread of volcanic ash has forced the closure of seven airports, including the largest airport in Manado province.

Mount Ruang erupted three times on April 30, spewing lava and ash more than 5km into the sky and forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for 12,000 people. A rescue ship and a warship were dispatched to help ferry thousands of people from neighboring Tagulandang island to Siau island amid warnings of a possible tsunami.

According to BMKG, since the first eruption on April 17, at least 3,614 houses, two churches and one school have been damaged by lava and pyroclastic ash from the volcano. The Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has upgraded the status of Mount Ruang from level 3 to level 4.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/indonesia-so-tan-12000-nguoi-canh-bao-song-than-do-nui-lua-phun-post737903.html