MANADO: Indonesian rescuers raced to evacuate thousands of people on Thursday (Apr 18) after a volcano erupted five times, forcing authorities to close a nearby airport and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami.
The crater of Mount Ruang flamed with lava against a backdrop of lightning bolts overnight after erupting four times on Wednesday, forcing authorities to raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tiered system.
The volcano on a remote island in Indonesia’s outermost region was still billowing a column of smoke on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to shut the nearest international airport in Manado city on Sulawesi island for 24 hours.
Authorities said they were rushing to evacuate 11,000 residents from the nearby area that included the remote island of Tagulandang, home to around 20,000 people.
Houses on the neighbouring remote island of Tagulandang were riddled with holes from falling volcanic rocks, and residents were preparing to leave at least temporarily.
“The current condition, particularly the road condition, is covered by volcanic material,” local rescuer Ikram Al Ulah told AFP by phone from the Tagulandang seaport.
“Currently, many people are still wandering around. Maybe to evacuate precious goods from their house.”
