Indonesia’s Mount Ibu volcano erupts, spewing clouds of ash
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The volcano has been active recently because of intense magma movement.
PHOTO: AFP
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JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Mount Ibu volcano erupted on June 4, spewing thick columns of grey ash 5km into the sky, the volcanology agency said, but there were no immediate reports of evacuations.
The volcano on the eastern island of Halmahera erupted at 5.36am local time for about two minutes, said Ms Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, an official of the Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), adding that all activities were barred within 7km of the crater.
“The volcano is recently active because there is an intense magma movement,” Ms Heruningtyas said, adding that its alert status was at the highest level, where it has been since May 16.
Video images showed clouds of grey ash billowing into the sky from the crater, following a smaller eruption on June 3.
They are the latest in a series since May that spurred the authorities to evacuate seven nearby villages
Indonesia straddles the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.
In May, the eruption of the Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi spewed incandescent lava, forcing the evacuation of more than 12,000 people.
More than 60 were killed after flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active volcanoes in the province of West Sumatra, inundated several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11. REUTERS
