'Crisis not over' as eruptions at Indonesia volcano go on
The Peninsula
Jakarta: The threat from an Indonesian volcano that has erupted more than half a dozen times this week is not over, the archipelago s top volcanology...
Jakarta: The threat from an Indonesian volcano that has erupted more than half a dozen times this week is not over, the archipelago's top volcanology official told AFP, as the crater belched another ash tower on Saturday.
Mount Ruang, located in Indonesia's outermost region of North Sulawesi province, started erupting late Tuesday, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands on islands near the stratovolcano and closure of the nearest international airport.
The volcano erupted again before midnight Friday and again on Saturday afternoon, spewing an ash column 250 metres (820 feet) above its peak, the latest of a wave of volcanic activity, the volcanology agency said.
That forced the country's volcanology agency to warn that major eruptions could still take place, despite the crater calming since it stirred a spectacular mix of lava, ash and lightning earlier in the week, raining down molten rocks on nearby villages.
"With volcanic earthquakes recorded, this crisis is not over yet," agency head Hendra Gunawan told AFP.
