Indonesia issues tsunami warning after Mount Ruang volcano erupts on remote island

(CNN) — Indonesian authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of residents this Wednesday after multiple eruptions of a volcano on a remote island, raising fears that it could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami.

Mount Ruang, a 725-meter-high conical stratovolcano on Ruang Island in North Sulawesi, has erupted at least five times since Tuesday night, spewing a plume of lava and ash thousands of meters high, according to the country’s volcanology agency.

Agency head Hendra Gunawan said authorities have raised the volcano alert to the highest level, warning people not to come within 6 kilometers of the peak, due to fears that Mount Ruang could partially collapse into the water. And can cause a tsunami, as happened in 1871.

“The strength of the Mount Ruang eruption is increasing and it has sent out hot clouds up to about 1.7 kilometers long,” he told national news agency Antara. He said the explosion was caused by recent earthquakes in the area.

Dramatic images of the eruptions show columns of brown ash rising into the sky and streams of incandescent lava cascading down the mountain with lightning. Photos also show the evacuation of residents.

According to officials, about 800 residents live on Ruang Island, who have temporarily moved to the neighboring island of Tagulandang. Officials warned that Tagulandang residents should remain alert for falling waves of hot rocks and hot clouds.

There is no information about any casualty.

Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of 270 million people, has more than 120 active volcanoes, more than anywhere else in the world. It is located along the Ring of Fire, a 40,000 kilometer seismic fault around the Pacific Ocean.

In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau caused it to collapse into the sea, causing a tsunami that hit the coasts of the main islands of Java and Sumatra, killing more than 400 people.