In the most recent of almost 100 eruptions since the beginning of the year, a volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Monday, sending a six-kilometer cloud of ash skyward.
Authorities say that at 3:30 am local time on Sunday, 1830 GMT, Mount Ibu in North Maluku province erupted again, sending sand flying into the surrounding communities.
As of earlier this month, authorities elevated the volcano’s alert level to the highest on Indonesia’s four-tiered alert system. The volcano has erupted at least 95 times since the beginning of the year.
“A column of ash was observed, grey in colour with thick intensity, drifting westward,” Geology Agency head Muhammad Wafid said in a statement.
“Rumbling sounds were heard up to the (monitoring) post,” he added.
He urged everyone to stay outside of the four to seven-kilometer (2.5 to 4.3 mile) exclusion zone surrounding the volcano’s crater.
Similar in size, the volcano erupted a few weeks prior, shooting a massive ash tower five kilometers into the sky.
One of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, Ibu erupted over 21,000 times in the previous year.
In 2023, Ibu reported an average of 58 eruptions each day, according to the Geology Agency.
Indonesia is a huge archipelago nation that is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which causes regular earthquake and volcanic activity.
More than six eruptions of Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province last month forced thousands of people living on neighboring islands to flee. It doesn’t go below the maximum alert level.
Almost all of Ruang Island’s 800 population will be moved permanently.
