JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupted again Sunday and spewed thick, gray ash 7,000 meters (16,000 feet) into the air, officials said.
The volcano, which is located on an island in the eastern province of North Maluku, erupted for more than six minutes, according to Muhammad Wafid, head of the Indonesian Geology Agency.
A column of ash could be seen rising high into the sky. It expelled material including volcanic ash and sand.
At the time of the eruption, the wind was blowing to the west and, as a result, the volcanic material was carried by the wind to a place where previously evacuated people lived, in a field in the village of Gam Ici, National Disaster said. Management Agency Spokesperson, Abdul Muhari. An agency team heads to the affected location.
Local authorities advised residents not to carry out outdoor activities and to remain sheltered indoors while the rain of ash mixed with sand continues.
Mount Ibu has been continuously erupting since early May. Indonesian authorities raised the alert to the highest level after a series of eruptions since last week.
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.
