Photo provide by Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Sitaro shows volcanic materials and smokes spewing from Mount Ruang seen from Sitaro Regency in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 17, 2024. (Photo by BPBD Sitaro/Handout via Xinhua)
JAKARTA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Sam Ratulangi Airport in Indonesia's North Sulawesi was temporarily closed on Thursday, following the eruption of the Ruang volcano which forced hundreds of people to flee.
"This closure affected 33 flights and 3,182 passengers," said Director of Operations of AirNav Indonesia Riza Fahmi.
The authority is keeping an eye on the current conditions to ensure safe flights, added Fahmi.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said that Mount Ruang's dangerous level increased to the highest category since Wednesday evening as a result of its continuous increase in volcanic activity.
With rumbling noises and tremors, the volcano erupted once more on Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. local time, hurling grey ash up to 3,000 meters over its peak.
When ash rain mixed with stones and gravel reached people's homes, more than 800 locals were forced to flee. Authorities deployed boats and ships to evacuate the population of the mountain island.
The status of emergency reaction has been set for at least April 29, 2024.
The PVMBG warns that people should wear masks, avoid moving within a 6-km radius of the mountain crater, and be cautious of tsunami waves due to the risk of the volcano's body crashing into the sea.■