Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupts as disaster agency warns of possible floods, cold lava flow

This handout picture taken and released on 21 May 2024 by the Indonesian Geological Agency shows Mount Ibu spewing volcanic ash as seen from the monitoring post in West Halmahera, North Maluku. (Indonesian Geological Agency / AFP)

A
volcano in Indonesia’s eastern island of Halmahera erupted on Saturday, spewing
a five-km high ash cloud, the country’s volcanology agency (PVMBG) said, while
its disaster agency warned of potential flash floods and cold lava flow.

Mount
Ibu’s eruption at 11:03 (0203 GMT) follows a series of eruptions in May.
Authorities noticed an uptick in volcanic activity starting in April, leading
to the evacuation of seven nearby villages.

“The
ash column is grey with thick intensity and leaning towards the
southwest,” the agency said, adding that residents and tourists should
maintain a distance of at least 7 km from the active crater.

Footage
shared by the agency showed the volcano spewing ash that grew thicker and
eventually dispersed.

Indonesia’s
disaster management agency BNPB told local authorities to anticipate secondary
disasters such as flash floods and cold lava flow. Analysis by the nation’s
meteorology agency shows the region has the potential for moderate to heavy
rain, although it did not say when.

This handout picture taken and released on May 18, 2024 by the Indonesian Geological Agency shows Mount Ibu spewing volcanic ash as lightning strikes, as seen from the monitoring post in West Halmahera, North Maluku. (Handout / INDONESIAN GEOLOGICAL AGENCY / AFP)

AFP

“If
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,” Suharyanto, the
BNPB chief, had said in a statement on Friday.

Since
16 May, the volcano has been on PVMBG’s highest alert level. Mount Ibu’s recent
activity follows a series of eruptions of other volcanoes in Indonesia, which
sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes.

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Flash
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 11 May, killing at least 67 people with 20 people still missing.