Thousands displaced by ‘Mount Ruang’ eruption in Indonesia

The first volcanic eruption occurred on the night of 16 April 2024 in ‘Mount Ruang’ located in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. Whereas on April 17, four consecutive explosions occurred in this area. Due to this incident of volcanic eruption, clouds of smoke and ash covered the sky.

• Thousands of people were displaced due to volcanic eruptions in Indonesia. According to media reports, this explosion has occurred several times in North Sulawesi province.

Volcanology Agency issues highest warning of danger:

• Due to continuous explosions the situation in this area has become very critical. Indonesia's volcanology agency raised the alert level to four, the highest on the danger scale.

More than 11 thousand people were displaced:

• According to Indonesian government reports, the size of the exclusion zone has been increased from four to six kilometers. More than 800 residents of Ruang were first evacuated to Tagulandang Island, 100 kilometers away from the state capital Manado.
• More people had to be evacuated on the morning of 18 April due to the extension of the exclusion zone. Abdul Muhari, head of the disaster data, communication and information center of the disaster agency said that about 11,615 residents of the area have been evacuated to safe places.
• Officials fear that this time a part of the volcano might fall into the sea like the 1871 eruption. This will increase the risk of tsunami.

Disruption to air travel in the area:

• Indonesian aviation officials said that Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado had announced to remain closed till the evening of April 18. The airport serves South Korea, China and Singapore, among other countries.
• Additionally, there have been disruptions to flights to and from Malaysia's Kota Kinabul International Airport.

Causes of volcanic eruption in Indonesia:

• Indonesia, which lies along the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a series of tectonic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean. There are more than 120 active volcanoes in this area.
• In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano caused a tsunami off the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the sea.

About Pacific 'Ring of Fire':

• Ring of Fire, also called the Pacific Rim or Circum-Pacific Belt. This is a region located along the Pacific Ocean, where most of the active volcanoes and earthquakes are recorded.
• Three quarters (75%) of Earth's volcanoes are located along the Ring of Fire.
• 90% of Earth's earthquakes occur in this region. Some of Earth's most violent and dramatic seismic events have occurred in this region.