Authorities announced on Sunday that a volcano on Halmahera Island in Indonesia erupted again, spewing gray volcanic ash clouds into the sky. Residents of seven nearby villages have been evacuated.
According to reports from Reuters, based on information and images shared by the Indonesian volcano agency, Mt. Ibu erupted on Saturday night, with volcanic ash reaching up to 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) high. Purple flashes shimmered around the crater, resembling lightning.
Abdul Muhari from the disaster management agency stated in a release that a joint team consisting of police, military, and rescue officials has been dispatched to the area to evacuate residents of surrounding villages.
Photos shared by the relief agency show authorities assisting elderly individuals in evacuating, while other residents are being transported by small trucks to be accommodated overnight in emergency tents.
The organization did not specify the total number of people evacuated, but authorities recommended the evacuation of individuals within a radius of 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) around the volcano.
As of 2022, there were over 700,000 residents living on Halmahera Island according to official data.
Officials have warned residents and tourists not to engage in any activities within a five-kilometer radius around Mt. Ibu.
After multiple eruptions of Mt. Ibu earlier this month, the Indonesian volcano agency raised the volcano alert level to the highest level.
Mt. Ibu is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, with over 21,000 eruptions last year. The recent activity follows a series of different volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” with 127 active volcanoes.
Mount Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in West Sumatra province of Indonesia. After heavy rainfall on May 11th, flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi covered several nearby areas, resulting in the deaths of over 60 people.
In recent weeks, the Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi has also erupted, spewing hot lava. The eruption prompted authorities to evacuate over 12,000 residents on the nearby island.