Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami warning Wednesday after the eruption of Mount Luang sent volcanic ash thousands of feet into the air. Authorities ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area.
Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center said there were at least five major eruptions in the past 24 hours at a volcano on the northern side of Sulawesi island. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level.
Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation/via AFP – Getty Images
At least 800 residents left the area early Wednesday.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean.
Officials urged tourists and others to stay at least 6.0 miles from the 778-meter-high Luang Volcano.
Officials fear that parts of the volcano could collapse into the ocean, causing a tsunami, like the 1871 eruption.
Taglandan Island, to the northeast of the volcano, is once again in danger, and residents have been advised to evacuate.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency announced that residents would be relocated to Manado, the nearest city on Sulawesi island, a six-hour boat ride away.
In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano caused parts of the mountain to fall into the sea, triggering a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java, killing 430 people.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
