Indonesia's Mount Ruang: 10,000 Residents to be Permanently Relocated After Series of Explosive Eruptions and Tsunami Warnings
The Indonesian government plans to permanently relocate approximately 10,000 residents from Ruang island due to the increased danger posed by the Ruang volcano.
The island, located in North Sulawesi province, has seen frequent explosive eruptions, forcing all residents to evacuate.
The alert status of the volcano has been raised to the highest level, and authorities have closed the provincial airport in Manado and issued a tsunami warning if parts of the mountain collapse into the surrounding waters.
About 9,800 people live on the island, and they have all been evacuated in recent weeks due to the volcanic activity.
Mount Ruang volcano in Indonesia has been erupting since last month, causing hundreds of residents from the Bolaang Mongondow area to be relocated.
The coordinating human development minister, Muhadjir Effendy, announced that 200 km from the island, about 400 "permanent" homes will be built to facilitate the relocations, following a cabinet meeting.
President Joko Widodo instructed that these houses meet disaster-standards.
The eruptions are believed to be triggered by increased seismic activity, including deep sea earthquakes.
A volcano on Tagulandang island in Indonesia erupted on Tuesday, damaging homes and forcing residents to evacuate.
The eruption covered the island in volcanic ash, collapsing some roofs.
The airport in Manado, the provincial capital, was closed due to ash spread.
The volcano had been quiet since Friday, but Indonesia is located in the "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.