The “Ibu” volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted, spewing lava and sending a column of smoke four kilometers into the sky, the national geological agency reported, quoted by Agence France-Presse and dariknews.bg.
The volcano, which is one of the most active in Indonesia, is located on Halmahera island in the Moluccan archipelago. It erupted at 7:45 p.m. local time.
“Lava was spotted two kilometers from the center of the eruption“, said Mohamed Wafid, director of the Geological Agency, in a statement.
Photos from the volcano's observation station showed a column of bright red flames and thick black smoke rising above the crater.
Visitors and residents of surrounding villages were asked to leave the area located within a radius of between 4 and 5.5 km from the crater. The agency also urged the population to wear masks and goggles in case of volcanic ash fall.
According to official data from 2022 The population of Halmahera Island is over 700,000.
The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire“. In 2024, “Ibu“ had more than 2,000 eruptions.