Indonesia volcano eruption: Mount Ruang erupts forcing several airports to close and evacuations of thousands as tsunami fears mount

A remote volcano in Indonesia has erupted forcing more than half a dozen airports to close. According to officials the ash is spreading as far as Malaysia and authorities are rushing to evacuate thousands of people due to fears of a tsunami. 

Mount Ruang erupted three times yesterday (April 30) spewing more than 5km (three miles) into the sky. Authorities were forced to issue evacuation orders for 12,000 people.

A rescue ship and a warship were dispatched to help move thousands from neighbouring Tagulandang island north to Siau island. The country’s meteorological agency, BMKG, shared a map this morning (May 1) showing volcanic ash had reached as far as eastern Malaysia on Borneo island, which Malaysia shares with Indonesia and Brunei.

Seven airports have been forced to close including the biggest in the provincial capital Manado and the city of Gorontalo, according to a notice from state-run air traffic control provider AirNav Indonesia. Malaysia Airlines said the ash led to the cancellation of some flights to and from airports in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, with travel dependent on the weather conditions. 

Indonesia sees regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as a result of its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where multiple tectonic plates meet. Mount Ruang recorded a series of eruptions earlier in April that also led to evacuations and disruption to aviation amid fears of a tsunami.