Eruption Again, Mount Ruang Now Has Alert Status

JAKARTA - The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) noted that there had been an eruption that ejected volcanic ash as high as five kilometers from the crater center of Mount Ruang located in Sitaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi. Head of PVMBG Hendra Gunawan said the eruption occurred this morning at 08.35 WITA with a column of gray to black gray ash pointing east and south. "The eruption was accompanied by hot clouds in all directions," he said in a report received in Jakarta, Tuesday, April 30, April 30, 2024, at 01.30 WITA, PVMBG raised the status of Mount Ruang from previously alert to alert as the increase in volcanic activity and seismicity in the volcano.

PVMBG asks residents around Mount Ruang not to enter a radius of six kilometers from the center of the active crater of Mount Ruang. Meanwhile, residents who live in the Tamulandang Island area which is within a radius of six kilometers should immediately be evacuated to a safe place outside the radius of six kilometers. Then, residents on Tagulandang Island, especially those living near the coast, should be aware of the potential for incandescent rock avalanches, hot cloud overflows, and tsunamis due to eruptive material entering the sea or volcanic collapse into the sea. On April 1 to 28, 2024, the number of seismicities was recorded as many as 6 earthquake eruptions, 15 avalanches, 1 earthquake tremors, 1 earthquake non harmonic, 3 times tremor earthquakes, 2,057 times deep volcanic earthquakes, 1,018 times shallow volcanic earthquakes, 32 times local tectonic earthquakes, and 195 times long tectonic earthquakes, and earthquakes were felt 7 times with the MMI scale. Meanwhile, the number of seismic stations recorded through April 29, 2024, from 00.00 to 24.00 WITA, was in the form of 15 avalanche earthquakes, 237 times shallow volcanic earthquakes, 425 times the inner volcanic earthquake, 25 times the local tectonic earthquake, and 6 times the distant tectonic earthquake.

Mount Ruang is a strato-type volcano and has a peak height of 725 meters above sea level as well as forming a separate island with other islands. PVMBG conducts visual and instrumental observations of Mount Ruang from the Gunungapi Observation Post located in Tulusan Village, Tagulandang District, Sitaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi.