As this publication reported on April 16th, 2024, 838 residents had to be evacuated from the Sitaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia after Mount Ruang began the early stages of a full-scale eruption. That eruption has since escalated into an Alert-Level IV event, requiring the evacuation of all residences within a 7km ring from the volcano, encompassing approximability 12,000 people.
Eruption Timeline
For the following three days until April 19th, 2024, local authorities attempted to restore order and continue commercial flights into Kuching Airport after the initial Alert-Level II was issued. However, by April 20th, 2024, Indonesian Lion Air cancelled its flights from Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi due to continued eruption. On April 20th, 2024, several minor eruptions sent volcanic ash more than 500m into the air. By the morning of Aril 21st, 2024 more than 200 flights had been cancelled from Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia. Also, by then more than 8,477 people were displaced and more than 300 residences had already been damaged by volcanic ash, landslides, and flow.
By April 22nd, 2024, despite assurances from the Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, an Alert-Level III was issued, and evacuation orders remained in place.
On April 29th, 2024, the situation escalated significantly when volcanic ash was thrown more than 2,000m into the air following another eruption. That ash cloud expanded to well above 5,000 meters, making the plume visible from space. At that point, the Alert-Level IV was issued, triggering the larger evacuation ring.
Terjadi erupsi G. Ruang pada hari Selasa, 30 April 2024, pukul 01:15 WITA. Tinggi kolom letusan teramati ± 2000 m di atas puncak (± 2725 m di atas permukaan laut). Kolom abu teramati berwarna kelabu dengan intensitas sedang hingga tebal ke arah utara. pic.twitter.com/ZwQPnOmLH5
— INFOMITIGASI (@infomitigasi) April 29, 2024
Abu Vulkanik lepasan erupsi Gunung Api RUANG ?? yang terjadi pada Hari Selasa, 30 April 2024 membuat wilayah Manado menjadi Gelap pagi ini karena tertutup awan debu Vulkanik. cc: @johnseach @MKelko @fathialz https://t.co/q4odLARGjQ pic.twitter.com/rFkYU5j4Ss
— INFOMITIGASI (@infomitigasi) April 30, 2024
Effective Evacuation
As of 0530 EST this morning, the National Disaster Management Agency confirmed that no fatalities or injuries had been caused as evacuations were effective in preventing another disaster like in 1871 in which hundreds were killed.
This is developing.
