JAKARTA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Ibu volcano on Halmahera Island in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku erupted on Monday for about three minutes, throwing ash up to 2,500 meters above its peak, according to the country's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
"The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity toward the west," said Axl Roeroe, an officer of the volcano's monitoring post.
Standing as high as around 1,300 meters above sea level, Ibu volcano is classified in the second danger level, below the highest level of IV.
The center said the stratovolcano erupted 21,000 times in 2023, making it the second most active volcano in Indonesia.
Roeroe called on the public not to undertake activities within a radius of 3.5 km from the crater.
Located on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", Indonesia is one of countries with the most volcanoes in the world. ■
