Eruption of Indonesia’s Ibu volcano triggers village evacuations
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The volcano on the remote island of Halmahera erupted, sending grey ash clouds into the sky while purple lightning flashed around its crater.
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Lightning appears amid a storm as Mount Ibu spews volcanic material during an eruption, as seen from Gam Ici in West Halmahera, North Maluku province, Indonesia, May 18, 2024, in this handout image. (The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation-PVMBG)
Authorities have reported that a volcano on Halmahera, a remote Indonesian island, erupted, releasing a grey ash cloud into the sky and forcing evacuations from seven nearby villages.
Mount Ibu's eruption on Saturday evening sent ash 4 km high, with purple lightning flashing around its crater, as shown in images and data from Indonesia's volcanology agency.
Massive eruption that occurred on Mount Ibu in Halmahera, Indonesia 🇮🇩 (15.05.2024)
— Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) May 15, 2024
Video: Infomitigasi pic.twitter.com/Bat2TZXXBx
Abdul Muhari from the disaster mitigation agency stated that a combined team of police, military, and search and rescue officials was sent to the area to evacuate residents from nearby villages.
Residents were transported in pickup trucks and sheltered in emergency tents overnight. While Indonesia’s disaster agency did not disclose the number of evacuees, authorities have advised clearing a 7 km radius around the volcano.
According to official figures from 2022, over 700,000 people reside on Halmahera island.
Indonesia’s volcanology agency elevated the volcano’s alert level to the highest on Thursday, following several eruptions from Ibu earlier this month.
Ibu erupted over 21,000 times in 2023
Ibu is among Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, having erupted over 21,000 times last year. Its recent activity is part of a series of eruptions from various volcanoes in Indonesia, which is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has 127 active volcanoes.
On May 11, torrential rain caused flash floods and cold lava flow from Marapi, one of the most active volcanoes in West Sumatra province, resulting in over 60 fatalities and affecting several nearby districts.
Additionally, North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano erupted in recent weeks, emitting incandescent lava and prompting the evacuation of more than 12,000 people from a nearby island.
It is worth noting that Indonesia frequently experiences landslides and floods during the rainy season. In 2022, approximately 24,000 individuals were displaced and two children lost their lives in floods on Sumatra island. Environmental advocates attributed the exacerbation of the disaster to deforestation as a result of logging activities.
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