Thousands evacuated as Sulawesi volcano erupts

Authorities close airport, issue tsunami warning

Rescuers raced to evacuate thousands of people yesterday 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 in Indonesia’s outermost region was still billowing smoke yesterday, 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.

Some residents were already trying to flee in a panic, according to officials.

“Last night people evacuated on their own but without direction due to the volcano’s eruption and falling material, including rocks, so the people scattered to find evacuation routes,” said Jandry Paendong, an official from the local search and rescue agency.

He said 20 staff were helping evacuate residents along the coastline near the volcano on rubber boats.

He called for more boats and equipment so his team could “carry out evacuation for people in the coast or near the coast” facing the volcano.

Tourists and residents were warned to remain outside a 6km exclusion zone.

More than 800 people were initially taken to safety from Ruang to nearby Tagulandang island after the first eruption on Tuesday evening before four more eruptions on Wednesday.

Authorities also warned of a possible tsunami as a result of the eruptions.

“The communities in Tagulandang island, particularly those residing near the beach, (need) to be on alert for the potential ejection of incandescent rocks, hot clouds and tsunami caused by the collapse of the mountain side into the sea,” said Hendra Gunawan, head of Indonesia’s volcanology agency.

The authorities’ fears were compounded by previous incidents.

In 2018, the crater of Mount Anak Krakatoa between Java and Sumatra islands partly collapsed when a major eruption sent huge chunks of the volcano sliding into the ocean, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The impact of Mount Ruang’s eruption led to the closure of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city, located more than 100km from the volcano.

The airport runways were shut “due to the spread of volcanic ash which could endanger flight safety”, said Ambar Suryoko, head of the Manado region airport authority.

The airport serves airlines that fly to Singapore and cities in South Korea and China.

“All flights were delayed because the airport is affected by the eruption of Mount Ruang, volcanic ash,” said Dimas, an airport officer in Manado.

The volcano’s last major eruption was in 2002, causing damage to nearby settlements and requiring evacuation of residents.