Mount Ibu, a volcano in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Saturday, spewing lava and sending a column of smoke four kilometers into the sky, the National Geological Agency said.
Located on the island of Halmahera in the Moluccas archipelago, the volcano, one of the most active in Indonesia, erupted at 7:45 p.m. local time (11:45 a.m. GMT).
“The lava was spotted two kilometers from the center of the eruption”Muhammad Wafid, director of the Geological Agency, said in a statement.
Images from the volcano’s lookout showed a column of bright red flames and thick black smoke rising above the crater.
Visitors and villagers were asked to leave an area between 4 and 5.5 kilometers from the summit.
Photo taken and transmitted on January 11, 2025 by the Indonesian Geological Agency showing the eruption of Mount Ibu, a volcano located in the Moluccas archipelago, in eastern Indonesia / Handout / Indonesian Geological Agency/AFP
The agency also asked people to wear masks and protective glasses in the event of volcanic ash rain.
According to official data dating back to 2022, the island of Halmahera has more than 700,000 inhabitants.
The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. The Ibu has experienced more than 2,000 eruptions in 2024.
Last year, Mount Ruang in northern Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing thousands of residents on nearby islands to evacuate.
