JAKARTA: A volcano in Indonesia\u2019s eastern island of Halmahera erupted on Saturday spewing a five-kilometer high ash cloud, the country\u2019s volcanology agency (PVMBG) said, while its disaster agency warned of potential flash floods and cold lava flow.
\nThe eruption of Mount Ibu at 11:03 a.m. (0203 GMT) follows a series of eruptions in May, after authorities noticed an uptick of volcanic activity starting in April, leading to the evacuation of seven nearby villages.
\n\u201cThe ash column is grey with thick intensity and leaning toward the southwest,\u201d the agency said, adding that residents and tourists should maintain a distance of at least 7 km from the active crater.
\nFootage shared by the agency showed the volcano spewing ash that grew thicker and eventually dispersed.
\nIndonesia\u2019s disaster management agency BNPB told local authorities to anticipate secondary disasters such as flash floods and cold lava flow. Analysis by the nation\u2019s meteorology agency shows the region has the potential for moderate to heavy rain, although it did not say when.
\n\u201cIf there is a buildup of material left over from the eruption, it should be cleaned up immediately because it is dangerous. If there is heavy rain, flash floods could occur, cause damage and many fatalities,\u201d Suharyanto, the BNPB chief, had said in a statement on Friday.
\nThe volcano has been on PVMBG\u2019s highest alert level since May 16. Mount Ibu\u2019s recent activity follows a series of eruptions of other volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific \u201cRing of Fire\u201d and has 127 active volcanoes.
\nFlash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi, one of the most active volcanoes in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11, killing at least 67 people with 20 people still missing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
JAKARTA: A volcano in Indonesia\u2019s eastern island of Halmahera erupted on Saturday spewing a five-kilometer high ash cloud, the country\u2019s volcanology agency (PVMBG) said, while its disaster agency warned of potential flash floods and cold lava flow. The eruption of Mount Ibu at 11:03 a.m. (0203 GMT) follows a series of eruptions in May, after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-410150","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n