Jakarta: Mount Ibu, an active volcano nestled on the remote island of Halmahera, erupted on Monday morning, casting thick columns of grey ash several kilometers into the sky, according to Indonesia’s volcanology agency.
The eruption, which occurred at 9:12 a.m. local time (0012 GMT), lasted approximately five minutes, with ash rising as high as 5 km (3.1 miles), officials reported. A smaller eruption had also been recorded just days prior, on Friday.
Despite the eruption, the volcano’s alert status remains at the second-highest level, as confirmed by Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre. As a precautionary measure, all activities within a five-kilometer radius of the volcano have been prohibited.
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Hendra advised, “If it starts to rain ash, we recommend people who are near the volcano to wear a mask and glasses.”
Footage captured by the monitoring center depicted clouds of grey ash billowing from the crater, accompanied by a booming noise reverberating in the vicinity. However, no evacuation of residents has been reported thus far.
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Indonesia, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, boasts 127 active volcanoes, presenting a constant threat of volcanic activity. In recent weeks, North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano erupted, emitting incandescent lava while lightning flashed from its crater, prompting the evacuation of over 12,000 people from a nearby island.
The region has witnessed other volcanic disturbances, such as in December when Marapi volcano, one of Sumatra’s most active, erupted, releasing grey clouds of ash reaching heights of 3 km and resulting in the loss of over 20 lives.
