Volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia

Mount Ibu, located in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Sunday, spewing a plume of ash up to 3.5 km above the crater, authorities said.

The eruption, which began at 00:37 local time (15:37 GMT Saturday), lasted for more than three minutes, Axl Roeroe, an official at the North Moluccas Volcano Observatory, said in a statement on Sunday.

“Residents and tourists in the vicinity of Mount Ibu, please do not do any activities within a radius of two kilometers [autour du cratère]”, he added.

The alert level of the volcano, with an altitude of 1,325 meters above sea level, is maintained at two on a scale of four. No evacuation was ordered after the eruption.

The authorities, however, urged the population to wear masks and goggles when going out, in order to protect themselves from possible rain of volcanic ash.

The Indonesian archipelago lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of ​​intense volcanic activity.

In mid-April, Mount Ruang also erupted in the north of the country, which led to the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Manado International Airport, located more than 100 kilometers from this crater, was then closed for several days.