On the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera, a volcano erupted, releasing a tall gray ash cloud. People from seven surrounding villages were evacuated due to the eruption. Writes UNN with reference to Reuters.
According to information and images released by the Indonesian volcanological agency, Mount Ibu erupted on Saturday evening, with ash being thrown 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) high with purple lightning visible around the crater.
Abdul Muhari from the disaster response agency said that a joint team consisting of police, military and search and rescue services was formed to evacuate residents of the surrounding villages.
The images released by the emergency agency show the authorities providing assistance to the elderly, while other residents are evacuated by pickup trucks and placed in emergency tents overnight.
Although the agency did not specify the number of displaced people, authorities advised evacuating the area within a seven-kilometer (4.35-mile) radius. The Indonesian Volcanological Agency raised the danger level for Mount Ibu to the highest after several eruptions earlier this month.
The Ibu volcano activity is part of a series of eruptions in Indonesia, a country located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is home to 127 active volcanoes.
Recall
At least 37 people were killed and more than 100 homes, mosques and facilities were damaged when heavy rains triggered flows of cold lava and ash from Indonesia's Marapi volcano on the island of Sumatra.