Ruang volcano eruption prompts tsunami warnings and airport closure

Bad news is coming from the Indonesian island of Ruang, located in the province of Celebes in northern Indonesia. On Wednesday, April 17th, a volcano by the same name erupted again. Experts expect more lava ejections.

The alert level on the island has been raised to the highest. The Indonesian Ministry of Transport announced on Thursday, April 18th, that the international airport in Manado will be closed until midnight Greenwich Time. The airport is approximately 100 kilometers from the Ruang volcano, which has erupted at least five times since Tuesday.

Reuters explains that flights from the port in the North Sulawesi/Celebes province, which fly to China, South Korea, and Singapore, could be threatened by rapidly spreading volcanic ash.

Associated Press reports that a tsunami warning has already been issued, which could occur if the volcanic eruption caused a sudden collapse of rocks into the ocean. An evacuation of 11,000 residents of the lowest-lying areas has been ordered. "The potential for further eruption is still high, so we need to remain alert," stated Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari from the National Volcanic Agency.

In social media, numerous recordings and photos show fiery red columns of lava, spreading clouds of smoke and ash, and glowing rocks.

In Indonesia, inhabited by over 270 million people, there are 120 active volcanoes. The country is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of high seismic activity that stretches along the edges of tectonic plates over an arc approximately 40,000 kilometers long.