Antelmus Paulus, a 67-year-old resident of Tagulandang island in Indonesia, is among the many facing despair in the wake of Tuesday’s eruption of the Ruang volcano. The eruption rendered his home uninhabitable, prompting authorities to initiate the evacuation of over 12,000 people.
Antelmus recounted the terrifying experience, stating that his zinc-roofed house, located just 7 kilometers from the volcano, suffered heavy damage from the ejected material. “There were rocks that were spewed from the volcano, it lasted at least three hours,” he shared with Reuters on Thursday, as he awaited evacuation. “I have no place to live now.”
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has issued warnings of potential tsunamis triggered by volcanic material collapsing into the ocean.
Sulce Ansar, another island resident, described Tuesday’s eruption as “worse” than previous ones, recalling the sight of “fiery red clouds of lava spewing into the air, along with gravels, volcanic ash raining down the island.”
Videos shared by Indonesia’s disaster agency depicted lightning flashing above Ruang’s crater during the eruption.
Reuters observed collapsing roofs on most houses on Tagulandang island, with roads and building debris covered in a thick layer of volcanic ash.
Both Sulce and Antelmus, along with thousands of others, are awaiting evacuation to Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Indonesia’s Disaster Agency (BNPB) reported that as of Thursday afternoon, 3,364 people had been evacuated, with more than 5,000 inhabitants remaining on the island.
BNPB head Suharyanto expects the remaining residents to be evacuated within the next three days. A state of emergency has been declared by local government officials, effective until May 14, to facilitate aid access. However, authorities stated that the airport at Manado will remain closed until Friday.
