Indonesia has closed a provincial airport and evacuated hundreds of individuals from the vicinity of the Ruang volcano, which has been emitting explosive plumes of lava, rocks, and ash for several days. Officials declared the highest alert level for the situation.
The volcano, located on a remote island in the province of North Sulawesi, erupted dramatically on Wednesday, sending a fiery-red column of lava, incandescent rock, and ash as high as three kilometers (two miles) into the sky.
Videos on social media showed purple flashes of lightning illuminating the sky above the erupting volcano. “We’re running, guys,” said one witness who filmed the eruption while evacuating. “We are escaping because the ash is coming close.”
More than 800 people have been evacuated from the area, and authorities have expanded the evacuation zone further following the raised alert status by the volcanology agency.
“The potential for further eruption is still high, so we need to remain alert,” said agency official Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, attributing the rapid escalation in volcanic activity.
The agency also received reports of falling rocks and ash damaging homes and forcing a nearby hospital to evacuate.
To protect against ash showers from the eruption, transport authorities have closed the airport in the provincial capital of Manado.
Budget airline Air Asia has canceled flights to nine airports in East Malaysia and Brunei after aviation authorities warned of safety risks.
Officials have cordoned off a six-kilometer (four-mile) area around the volcano and are evacuating more residents, including some from the neighboring island of Tagulandang, according to Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the disaster mitigation agency.
Muhari stated that about 1,500 individuals in high-risk areas need immediate evacuation, and nearly 12,000 more could be affected.
There are concerns about a potential tsunami if parts of the mountain collapse into the ocean below. A previous eruption of the volcano in 1871 resulted in a tsunami that killed about 400 people.