Indonesia’s Mount Ruang erupts second time in a week; 12,000 people evacuated

The Mount Ruang volcano in Indonesia erupted on Tuesday for a second time in two weeks, emitting ash almost 2 km into the sky with debris falling into nearby villages prompting authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people.

Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupted, spewing lava as lightning flashes lit up its crater. The alert status also led to the closure of a nearby airport. 

The residents of Tagulandang island were warned by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) that a tsunami could be triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.

The 725-metre (2,378-foot) volcano in North Sulawesi province is about 95 kilometers (59 miles) northeast of Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado, the provincial capital.

The ash and rock falling from the sky across the region caused motorists in Manado, a city of over 4,30,000 people, to switch on their headlights during daytime.

The airport was closed on Tuesday morning due to reduced visibility and the dangers posed to aircraft engines by ash, said Ambar Suryoko, head of the regional airport authority.

The alert level of the volcano situated on Sulawesi Island was recently raised to the highest after sensors picked up increasing volcanic activity, news reports said.

The authorities urged residents of the island as well as climbers to stay at least 6 km from the crater of the erupting volcano, media reports said.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said that all 843 residents living in Ruang island, where the volcano is located, have been moved to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Residents of Tagulandang island are being relocated to Siau island to the north, a Reuters report said.

Ruang island is about 100 km from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province in the north-central region of the sprawling Indonesian archipelago, it said.