Volcanic eruptions in Indonesia affect thousands of passengers

By Anadolu staff

Volcanic eruptions in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi left dozens of flights canceled, affecting thousands of passengers, the state-run media reported on Friday.

Located on Ruang Island about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the provincial capital of Manado, the volcano erupted several times since Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents, which make up most of the entire population on the island.

“There are 47 flight routes impacted until the second day,” Antara News Agency quoted Maya Damayanti, general manager of Sam Ratulangi Airport, as saying.

Damayanti added that around 6,165 passengers were affected as flights to Jakarta, Surabaya, Sorong, Balikpapan, and several international flights had to be postponed until Saturday.

The airport was closed and flights were suspended on Thursday for the safety of passengers.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) said that five eruptions rising from 1,800 to 3,000 meters occurred from the peak of Mt. Ruang.

According to the agency, the explosive eruption caused rumbling sounds, earthquakes, and flashes of volcanic lightning.

PVMBG recorded around 1,439 deep and 569 shallow volcanic, six local tectonic and 167 distant tectonic earthquakes on Mt. Ruang since April 1.