Indonesia Evacuating Thousands After Volcano Erupts, Causes Tsunami Threat

Manado, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Apr, 2024) Indonesian rescuers raced to evacuate thousands of people Thursday after a volcano erupted five times, forcing authorities to close a nearby airport and issue a warning about falling debris that could cause a tsunami.

Mount Ruang's crater flamed with lava against a backdrop of lightning bolts overnight after erupting four times on Wednesday, pushing an ash column more than a mile into the sky and forcing authorities to raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tiered system.

Taka, a local fisherman who only gave one name, was at sea helping people to safety by boat when the crater unleashed a fiery orange column.

"There was a mix of fire and rocks. Lava flowed in various directions," he told AFP.

The volcano, which sits on a remote island in Indonesia's outermost region with a peak 725 metres above sea level, was still billowing a column of smoke up to 800 metres (2,625 feet) high on Thursday morning, officials said.