Jakarta, Indonesia – Thousands of residents on Halmahera Island in eastern Indonesia are being evacuated after Mount Ibu erupted on Wednesday, spewing a massive column of smoke and ash four kilometers into the sky, authorities confirmed.
The eruption marked the fifth such incident from the volcano this year, prompting Indonesia’s Geological Agency to elevate Mount Ibu’s alert status to the highest level.
“Following the increase in Mount Ibu’s (alert) level, today we will evacuate residents in five villages,” said Wawan Gunawan Ali, head of the local disaster management agency. He stated that approximately 3,000 residents from nearby villages would be relocated by Wednesday evening.
An AFP reporter at the scene noted that several residents had already assembled at a village hall, preparing to leave their homes.
Mount Ibu, situated on the remote island of Halmahera, has shown heightened volcanic activity since June last year, coinciding with a series of earthquakes. The volcano, one of Indonesia’s most active, erupted four times in January alone.
Authorities have issued a warning to both locals and tourists, advising them to stay outside a five- to six-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano. Residents have also been urged to wear face masks to protect themselves from falling ash.
As of 2022, Halmahera Island was home to approximately 700,000 people.
Indonesia, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences seismic and volcanic events. Last November, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the island of Flores erupted over a dozen times in one week, claiming nine lives. Similarly, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted multiple times last year, forcing mass evacuations from nearby islands.
The situation around Mount Ibu is being closely monitored, with officials emphasizing safety measures and evacuation protocols to minimize risks to human life.
