By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:00pm PDT, Apr 24, 2024
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Evacuations continued in Indonesia on April 19 amid continuing concerns about an erupting volcano on Sulawesi Island, the Associated Press reported.
Mount Ruang — a 2,379-foot high mountain in North Sulawesi Province — erupted multiple times over the course of a few days, beginning on April 16. At least 11,000 people were reportedly evacuated from their homes as a mix of molten falling rocks, ash and debris spread to nearby communities, according to reports.
The initial eruption triggered a plume of smoke and ash into the sky, along with orange lava and volcanic lightning. Four more eruptions followed on April 17, prompting Indonesia's volcanology agency to announce a level 4 alert — the scale's highest — and extend the exclusion zone around the crater by more than a square mile, Al Jazeera reported.
By April 19, officials in Indonesia and Australia were also warning of a possible tsunami, should parts of the volcano collapse into the sea.
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Mount Ruang erupts in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19.
The remote Indonesian volcano sent a tower of ash spewing into the sky after nearly half a dozen eruptions forced thousands to evacuate when molten rocks rained down on their villages.
MORE: See photos of 'vortex rings' drifting out of volcano in Italy
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Mount Ruang volcano erupts in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19.
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People gather on a pier at the port on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19 as the Mount Ruang volcano spewed smoke in the distance.
The volcano is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a hotbed of volcanic and seismic activity that's host to 75 percent of the Earth's active volcanoes, according to National Geographic.
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People look at the eruption of Mount Ruang volcano on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19.
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Mount Ruang spews volcanic ash into the sky in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 19.
Indonesian authorities declared an emergency in the North Sulawesi province on April 18 after a volcanic eruption disrupted local communication systems.
Hundreds of people were also displaced during the previous two days; they were taken to temporary shelters.
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Here's an aerial view of the affected area after the Ruang volcano erupted multiple times, spewing lava and ash clouds into the sky in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 19.
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A ship from Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) is anchored at the port on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19 as the Mount Ruang volcano is seen in the background spewing smoke.
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Mount Ruang spews volcanic ash into the sky in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 19.
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A police officer sweeps volcanic material accumulated on the ground of the port on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19. In the background, the Mount Ruang volcano can be seen emitting smoke.
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Mount Ruang volcano erupts in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19.
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Mount Ruang volcano erupts in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, on April 19.
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A homeowner looks at holes in his roof caused by volcanic material that spewed into the air from the recent eruptions of the Mount Ruang volcano on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 19, 2024.
Indonesian authorities were on alert for more eruptions from a remote island volcano that forced thousands to evacuate as nearby residents began clearing debris after molten rocks rained down on their villages.
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Mount Ruang erupts on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 16, 2024.
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Hot clouds and molten lava, accompanied by lightning storms, are seen during the Ruang volcano eruption process in Sitaro Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 17, 2024.
Results of temporary data collected by Indonesia's National Disasters Management (BNPB) Control and Operations Center (Pusdalops) as of April 20, 2024, showed as many as 10 villages and two sub-districts in Tagulandang District, Sitaro Regency, have been affected by volcanic material from the eruption, including volcanic ash rain accompanied by gravel and rocks,
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The Ruang volcano erupts in Sitaro Regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 19, 2024.
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Mount Ruang erupts on Tagulandang Island in Sitaro, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, on April 17, 2024.
