Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupts three times, spewing lava and ash clouds

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupted three times on Thursday, spewing red lava and clouds of gray ash. No injuries were reported.

The volcano, located on an island in the eastern province of North Moluccas, was erupting almost every day since the beginning of May. The authorities raised the alert to the highest level as the number of deep volcanic eruptions and earthquakes has increased significantly.

Thursday’s eruptions sent clouds of ash up to 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) high, said Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia’s Geology Agency. Photos and videos recorded by the agency from an observation post showed explosions of red-hot lava with some lightning during the eruptions.

Authorities urged people to stay at least 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) from the 1,325-meter (4,347-foot) tall volcano.

More than 1,900 people were evacuated from three villages near the volcano, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Thousands of hectares (acres) of agricultural land were affected by the eruptions.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic faults surrounding the Pacific Ocean.