JAKARTA – The Ibu volcano on Halmahera Island in the eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku erupted today at around 9am local time for about five minutes, throwing ash up to 5,000m above its peak, according to the country’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).
“The ash column from its eruption was observed to be grey to black with thick intensity towards the west. When this report was written, the eruption was still ongoing,” said PVMBG, reported Xinhua.
The Ibu volcano, which stands around 1,300m above sea level, is classified as the third most dangerous level, just below the highest level of IV.
The volcano has erupted more than 80 times since the beginning of this year, according to PVMBG, and the public is advised not to conduct any activities within a 5km radius of the crater.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is one of the countries with the greatest number of volcanoes. – May 13, 2024