A major volcanic eruption in Indonesia has prompted authorities to issue a tsunami alert.

Mount Ruang, located in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province, erupted several times and spewed ash thousands of feet high.

Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to evacuate the area.

BREAKING…🌋A MAJOR VOLCANIC ERUPTION HAS OCCURED IN INDONESIA
The #Ruang #Volcano in #Indonesia has erupted today sending ash thousands of feet into the air. Over 800 people have been evacuated in the North Sulawesi province.

Preliminary reports are the volcanic explosivity… pic.twitter.com/uzEOKzCGfP

— Mike Masco (@MikeMasco) April 17, 2024

“Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami, as happened in 1871,” Insider Paper noted.

ALERT: Indonesia volcano eruption sparks tsunami fears, alert level raised to highest — Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami, as happened in 1871. pic.twitter.com/idTYAjuImo

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 17, 2024

Fox News reports:

Tagulandang island to the volcano's northeast is again at risk, and its residents are among those being told to evacuate.

Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said residents will be relocated to Manado, the nearest city, on Sulawesi island, a journey of six hours by boat.

In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the ocean, killing 430 people.

WATCH:

The Ruang volcano erupted in Indonesia. The alarm level has been raised to the highest level pic.twitter.com/oF5lcQPx4m

— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) April 17, 2024

Monstrous eruption of Ruang volcano, North of Sulawesi, Indonesia with ash reaching 63,000ft or 19,000m into atmosphere. Seen on IR satellite imagery too

Tsunami warning triggered for entire West coast pic.twitter.com/b1Y3gMfCMN

— Karnataka Weather (@Bnglrweatherman) April 17, 2024

From The Guardian:

Authorities in Indonesia have issued a tsunami alert after a volcano erupted several times in the province of North Sulawesi, spewing a column of smoke more than a mile into the sky and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes.

Mount Ruang, a stratovolcano, first erupted at 9.45pm local time on Tuesday and then four times on Wednesday, Indonesia’s volcanology agency said.

Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami, as happened in 1871. Tagulandang island to the volcano’s north-east is again at risk, and its residents are among those being told to evacuate.

The alert level for the volcano, which has a peak of 725 metres above sea level, was raised on Wednesday evening from three to four, the highest level in the four-tiered system.

“Based on the result of visual and instrumental observation that showed an increase in volcanic activity, Mount Ruang’s level was raised from level three to level four,” Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia’s volcanology agency, said in a statement.

Authorities widened a 4km exclusion zone around the crater to 6km on Wednesday evening.

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